France-based Malawian women’s football sensation Tabitha Chawinga has described 2024 as the best year in her career.
She said this in reaction to her ranking as seventh in the Fifa Best Awards held on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar.
Tabitha was nominated for six major awards this year.
Apart from the Fifa awards, the Scorchers captain was a nominee for Ballon d ‘Or, Confederation of African Football (CAF), Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa) and French Women’s top-flight best player awards.
Awards | Courtesy of Tabitha Chawinga
The Olympique Lyonnais forward is also in contention for the Global Soccer Awards Best Women’s Footballer of the Year Award, in which she is the only African nominee for the prize.
In an interview yesterday, the 28-year-old, who came second on the continent to Zambian Barbara Banda in the Fifa Awards, said to her, a seventh-place ranking was not a mean feat.
She said: “I believe 2024 has been the best for me. It has been a fantastic year and for everything, I thank God because it is Him who made it possible.
“This is just the start and God will do the rest.
“I am so excited that after playing just a season in France, I achieved a lot, but there is more to come. Something big will happen this season.”
Tabitha said her secret has been her trust in God, self-determination and belief as well as everlastinh hunger for success.
During the period under review, Tabitha won the French Women’s First Division golden boot in her debut season while with Paris Saint Germain (PSG) before joining Lyon.
She also inspired the Parisians to a second-place finish in the league and played an integral part in their qualification for the Uefa Women’s Champions League semi-finals as well as the Coupe de France glory.
Meanwhile, Spain and Barcelona superstar Aitana Bonmati retained the Women’s Player of the Year Award while Real Madrid and Brazil winger Vinicius Jr won it in the men’s category.
National Women’s Football Association chairperson Adellaide Migogo in an interview yesterday said Tabitha’s achievements prove that she is among the best in the world.
“She has taken the European leagues by storm, now the expectation is that she will also inspire the Scorchers to qualify for big tournaments. She has an X-factor and we believe she will do it,” she said.
“Tabi has been an inspiration to fellow players not only here in Malawi, but at continental level as well. She is a role model to up-and-coming players that with determination and hard work, they can achieve their dreams.”
Before her move to France, Tabitha won the Italian Serie A Feminine golden boot while on loan at Inter Milan in 2023, becoming the first African to achieve that feat.
On why Tabitha was able to be one of the continent’s two nominees for the Fifa and Ballon d ‘Or awards and fail to make the top three in CAF awards, African football follower Felix Ngamanya Sapao said: “I assume it’s because for CAF, they also consider one’s contribution in their tournaments or for national teams and if the Scorchers had taken part and qualified for major tournaments, then definitely she would be a hot contender.”
