US-based Malawi women’s football star Temwa Chawinga has turned down a Scorchers call-up for next month’s international friendlies against Ghana and Tanzania and opted to go on a personal trip to China, Nation on Sunday can reveal.
This is despite her club, Kansas City Current, releasing her for the Fifa international window matches and facilitating her travel arrangements.
Information we have seen shows that the US club informed the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) that Temwa would be available for the two matches and that they would even purchase air tickets for her trip to Tanzania.
But in a message sent to the Scorchers team manager, which we have seen, Temwa said she would not be available because the dates of the two matches clash with her planned trip to China, where she intends to meet suppliers for her house construction project.
The message reads: “Hello a team sinkwanisa kubwela munthu amene nkupitila ku China akhala ndi mpata ma date amene kuli ma game chifukwa nkufuna kuyamba kumanga ku plot kuja ndiye nkufuna kakumane ndi ma supplier agulisa katundu wozomanga chifukwa visa imene nali nayo yopitila ku China ikutha pa 8 mwezi wa mawa. [I won’t be able to join the Scorchers because I want to travel to China to meet the supplier of my house construction materials. The supplier will be available during the same time the friendly matches will be played, so I cannot make it. I need to go within this period because my China visa is expiring on June 8.]”
FAM operations director Gomezgani Zakazaka in an interview confirmed the development.
“Yes, we have received the communication from Temwa. That’s all I can say as of now,” he said.
Temwa’s absence is a blow for Scorchers head coach Lovemore Fazili who insists that his team is incomplete without Temwa and her France-based sister Tabitha.
The tactician had planned to have all Scorchers stars in the last friendly matches before the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) finals in Morocco from July 26 to August 16 in Morocco.
Temwa’s absence means it is now over a year since she last played for the Scorchers in February 2025 in two international friendly matches against Zambia’s Copper Queens.
Since then the Scorchers have played 15 matches without her.
During the period, Temwa missed four international friendly matches against South Africa as well as against Morocco, Ghana and two against Lesotho.
The star was also absent in three matches against Angola—twice in Wafcon qualifiers and once in Cosafa Women’s Championship.
Temwa was also not available for Three Nations tournament against Zimbabwe and Zambia as well as Fifa Series against Australia and India in Kenya in April despite recovering from an injury and featuring for her club in US.
Her sister, Tabitha, on the other hand, has been available for the Scorchers including the Wafcon qualifiers and is also expected to join the squad for the upcoming friendly matches against Ghana and Tanzania.
