Tabitha suspended for today’s match

Tabitha Chawinga’s bid to retain the golden-boot in the Chinese Women Soccer League (CWSL) has suffered a setback as she has been suspended from Jiangsu Suning’ match against Guangdong Meizhou today.

The 24-year-oldstriker will miss the match after committing a second bookable offence of the season on Saturday in her team’s 2-0 victory over Changchun Dazhong.

This was a bitter-sweet experience for her as it was her brace that inspired the reigning champions to their latest triumph that narrowed her gap on the scorers’ chart.

Tabitha is currently third on the scorers’ chart with seven goals, two behind leading scorer Sole Jaimes of Changchun Dazhong Zhuoyue and a goal shy of second leading scorer Zambian Barbra Banda (Shanghai Shengli).

Her younger sister Temwa, who scored her fourth goal of the season on Saturday to help her side Wuhan Jiangda thrash Shanghai Shengli 3-0, is seventh on the scorers’ chart.

However, while the others have a chance to add more goals today, Tabitha will be watching from the terraces.

“It will be  painful to just watch my friends increase their tallies this Tuesday [today]. All the same, I have left everything in the hands of the Almighty God for He does everything for a purpose,” she said.

On her part, Temwa said she was happy that her fourth goal of the season has not only kept her closer to the scorers’ leader board but also helped her team displace Shengli from the summit and become the only unbeaten side in the league.

Suning, who have so far lost two games this season, are third in the Chinese women’s top-flight league with 15 points from seven games, three behind second-placed Shanghai Shengli and four adrift of leaders Wuhan.

Last season, Tabitha won the golden boot accolade in both the CWSL and the Chinese Women’s FA Cup aside from being named the league’s player of the year and helping Suning win the championship.