US-based celebrated Malawian female footballer Temwa Chawinga has been ranked the favourite to win the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Most Valuable (MVP) Award by ESPN.
With just four rounds of matches remaining, the American multi-platform sports media outlet says Temwa, who clinched the award in her debut season last year, stands head and shoulders above the rest.
She is ranked first among 10 contenders, with Spanish forward Esther Gonzalez of Gotham FC coming second.
Ironically, the two are also hot contenders for the Golden Boot Award with Temwa leading the race with 14 goals, one above Gonzalez.
Reads part of a statement posted on espn.com: “The National Women’s Soccer League’s post-season is eerily close with just four rounds of games remaining, which makes this fourth edition of ESPN’s MVP Tracker the final chapter before we cast our real votes and plenty has changed.
“Orlando Pride’s Zambian forward Barbra Banda, one of the league’s top scorers, sustained a season-ending injury in August.
“Forward Alyssa Thompson, who might have been the best American in the NWSL this season, moved from Angel City FC to Chelsea. Those are two prominent subtractions from the NWSL MVP race.”
It says based on Temwa’s contribution to her club Kansas City (KC) Current’s remarkable run that has seen them leading the US women’s top-flight with 16 points, she stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Reads the statement: “Chawinga is in a category of her own. She scores plenty as evidenced by her 14-goal output, but she also creates them and puts herself in the position to score more than any other player in the NWS and it’s not even close.
“The data from TruMedia confirms what the eye can easily see: Chawinga’s 13.15 expected goals is a country mile ahead of second-place Esther, with 8.62 expected goals.
“Chawinga changes games and forces every opponent to adapt its game plan specifically to account for her. Case and point came earlier this month when she smoked Bay FC’s defence in transition, taking just five touches from her own defensive half before scoring.”
On Gonzalez, ESPN says: “Esther Gonzalez absolutely has a strong shout in the MVP race and moves up to number two in our list. Out of nowhere, a once struggling Gotham team now sits in third place and they can thank Esther for dragging them through the hard times early in the season.
“Her 13 goals far exceed her expected goals output, and she continues to get the job done in every way, most impressively as a five-foot-five player with huge ups and great timing.
“She has four headed goals to complement six with her right foot and three with her left.”
National Women’s Football Association chairperson Adellaide Migogo, who is also a Football Association of Malawi executive committee member, said: “Temwa is now at the peak of her game and the statistics speak for her.
“She is enjoying her game and is arguably the best in the NWSL. We are proud of her exploits and I am optimistic she will retain both the MVP and Golden Boot awards.”
Temwa, who was one of the only two African nominees for the 2025 Women’s Ballon d’Or Award and finished 17th, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Last year, she won the golden boot with a record 20 goals.
