Tabitha on song

 France-based Malawi women’s football icon Tabitha Chawinga has risen to second on the scorers’ chart and assists in the French Women’s First Division.

The Scorchers captain scored her seventh league goal as her club Paris Saint Germain (PSG) Feminine thrashed LOSC 6-0 on Tuesday night to take her tally to seven goals, just one behind Ada Hegerberg of Lyon FC.

The 26-year-old is tied on goals scored with Paris FC’s Eugenie Le Sommer and Gaetane Thiney of Paris FC.

Tabitha is chasing her second successive golden boot in a another

top European league, having won  it with Italian Serie A side Inter Milan last season with 23 goals.

So far, she has six assists, two short of Kadidiatou Diani of Lyon.

In the match against LOSC, Tabitha was introduced at the start of the second half as PSG led 2-0 after a quick counter-attack. She also provided three assists.Following the victory, PSG are

 second in the 12-team league with 25 points from 11 matches, eight short of leaders Lyon who have played a game more.

In an interview yesterday, Tabitha played down the chase for the golden boot, saying there is still a long way to go.

She said: “We are now half-way through, so there’s still some way to go, the priority now is to help my team close the gap with the leaders.”

Scorchers coach Lovemore

 Fazili said he is happy that foreign-based players are doing well.

He said: “It is pleasing that all our girls are shining in foreign leagues, including those based on the continent.

“It is just unfortunate that we were not able to take part in major tournaments such as the Olympic qualifiers and Women’s Africa Cup of Nations which would have exposed more players.

 Apart from Tabitha and her sister Temwa, who is set to join a US top-flight league side Kansas City Women, other foreign-based players are Sabina Thom who plays for TP Mazembe in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia-based Vanessa Chikupira and Ireen Khumalo of Green Buffaloes and Emily Jossam of Zesco United as well as Rwanda-based Mary Chabvinda, who plays for Rayon Sports Women FC.