Tabitha is Africa’s best for November
ESPN, an international sports channel that ranks women footballers, has named France-based Malawian football star Tabitha Chawinga as the best African women’s footballer for November.
Ironically, the Scorchers captain has also been nominated for the French Division 1 Arkema League best player award for the same month.
That is not all. She was also short-listed for the CAF-FIFPro Africa XI whose award gala was held last night in Marrakesh, Morocco.
ESPN says the 27-year-old forward, who is on a season-long loan deal at Paris Saint Germain (PSG), is followed by China-based Zambian striker Barbra Banda while Barcelona’s Nigerian forward Asisat Oshoala, who until yesterday was the reigning African Women’s Footballer of the Year, comes third.
Reads part of the ESPN report: “Chawinga had already started well at PSG in October after signing on loan from Wuhan Jiangda. However, November was the month which saw the Malawi star reach full flow.
“The striker scored a hat-trick in the 5-2 win over Dijon and was on the score-sheet again in the 4-1 victory over Montpellier as well as two assists.”
In an interview yesterday, Tabitha said the two nominations were proof that her performance was outstanding in the month under review.
She said: “I would say I am delighted that in only my second month in France, both ESPN and the league have recognised my contribution.
“It is not easy to make an impression in such a short period. So, for me it is a motivation and I will keep working hard.”
Last week, the striker was named 2023 Italian Women’s Footballer of the Season and in its report, the BBC expressed surprise that despite her feat, she did not make the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women’s Footballer of the Year Award second shortlist.
Part of the report reads: “It was double delight for Africa as Malawi international Tabitha Chawinga won the AIC’s women’s prize after she finished as the domestic top scorer last season with 23 goals for Inter Milan.
“However, Chawinga has been surprisingly overlooked by CAF for its African women’s player of the year award, missing out from the [second] shortlist of nominees.”
