Tabitha, Temwa frustrated over football uncertainty
China-based women football stars—Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga—have opened up on their frustrations over the football resumption uncertainty in that country due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tabitha, who plays for Chinese Women’s Super League champions Jiangsu Suning, said in an interview on Sunday that it is becoming “Increasingly frustrating” just training without knowing when competitive football will resume.
She said: “Our team is looking after us well, but then it is disappointing and painful to train without a hint at when we will restart competitive football.
“Sometimes it takes off the enthusiasm and you are kind of discouraged.
“But then there is nothing else we can do other than wait and continue to hope that things will get back to normal soon.”
The 23-year-old Malawi women’s national football team captain said unconfirmed reports indicate that football could resume next month in China.
“But there is nothing concrete at the moment,” she said.
In February this year, Jiangsu Suning turned down a request from French Women’s League 1 side Olympique Lyonnais to sign the Scorchers prolific forward on short-spell loan after Chinese football was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Her sister Temwa, who is based in Wuhan, the epicentre of the pandemic, also said she misses football a lot.
She said: “Since I came here [in China], I haven’t played competitive football. At first it was the lengthy lockdown before we resumed training.
“So, sometimes it gets to a point where you feel depressed. I am a new player here and I need to prove my worth.
“I just want to play football because that’s the thing I love most and that is why I am here. But let us wait and see.”
Temwa joined her new club in January from Swedish second-tier league side Kvarnsvedens IK.
