Temwa pleads for women’s football support
US-based Malawi women’s football star Temwa Chawinga has called for support for women’s football to help the Scorchers become a force to reckon with at international stage.
The Kansas City Current FC forward said this yesterday in an interview with BBC World Service as part of today’s International Women’s Day commemorations.
Temwa said there is too much emphasis on men’s football than women’s football in Malawi.
She was responding to a question why the Scorchers remain an underdog at the international stage despite producing two world -class players in Temwa and her sister Tabitha who plays for PSG in France.
She said: “We don’t have a good national team because we don’t have resources. They don’t support women’s football in Malawi.
“Last year, we didn’t participate in Olympic qualifiers because we didn’t have money.
“They just focussed on men’s football. May-be with me and Tabitha’s success some people will start supporting women’s football.”
BBC World Service featured Temwa following her impressive performance in 2023 when she was named the world top scorer both in men and women’s football with 63 goals, surpassing Portuguese super star Ronaldo’s tally by nine.
She scored 12 goals for Scorchers, 30 goals in the Chinese Women’s Super League, 15 in the Chinese National Cup and six in the Chinese Women’s FA Cup.
But of all the goals, Temwa said she will cherish the brace she scored in Cosafa Women’s Championship semi-final in South Africa against Mozambique as Scorchers punched a ticket to the final where they beat defending champions Zambia 2-1.
Despite women’s football challenges, the 25-year-old believes her achievement will inspire more girls.
Meanwhile, National Women’s Football Association president Adellaide Migogo has said the Scorchers will participate in all international competitions this year.
She said: “The future looks bright. Our strategic plan as National Women’s Football Association as well as the newly-elected Football Association of Malawi president Fleetwood Haiya’s manifesto stress that the Scorchers should participate in all international competitions.”
Migogo, however, called on the corporate world to start supporting women’s football.
She said: “Despite the poor support the Scorchers defied all odds and won the Cosafa Women’s Championship.
“Women’s football has proved that it can even achieve more if given maximum support from the corporate world. We hope they too would like to be associated with a winning brand.”
