France-based Malawian female football superstar Tabitha Chawinga keeps knocking on the door of greatness, having been nominated for a fourth major award within two months, The Best Fifa Women’s Player, simply known as The Best.
The Scorchers captain was among the world elite nominnes for the 2024 Women’s Ballon d ‘Or won by Spain and Barcelona great Aitana Bonmati.
The 28-year-old is also a contender for the Confederation of 2024 African Football (CAF) Woman Footballer of the Year and the 2024 Globe Soccer Awards’ Best Women’s Player awards.
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Just like in the Ballon d ‘Or, Tabitha is one of the only two Africans nominated for the prestigious award out of 16, the other being Zambian Barbara Banda of US National Women’s Soccer League side Orlando Pride.
In an interview yesterday, Tabitha could not hide her excitement.
She said: “Yes, a fourth major nomination this year. The recognitions alone mean a lot to me, it shows that they rate me highly, but winning the actual awards is yet another thing.
“What I can say is that as long as I keep knocking on the door, I will get there. It could be now or in future. God’s time is always the best.
“I am very excited and in everything, I thank God Almighty because as I always say, without Him, I’m nothing.”
On Tabitha’s nomination, Fifa says: “The Malawian star was in almost unstoppable form for Paris St Germain in 2023/24.
“A dynamic, clinical striker, Chawinga racked up 19 goals in 21 league matches as her team finished runners-up to Lyon, the club she went on to join in July 2024. She did help PSG win the Coupe de France, however, and scored five times in their run to the Women’s Champions League semi-finals.”
The other notable contestants for The Best Award are Bonmati who won it last year, her compatriot and Arsenal star Mariona Cardenty, Barcelona and England striker Caroline Graham Hansen and Jamaican Khadija Shaw, who plays for Manchester City.
National Women’s Football Association chairperson Adellaide Migogo said ain an interview yesterday that the nominations are proof that Tabitha has risen to one of the best players in the world.
She said: “Our girl deserves it because she has proven to be one of the best and we remain hopeful that not far from now, she will rule the world.
“We are proud of her exploits and she keeps motivating the girl child out there that with self-belief and determination, it is possible.”
Tabitha has been nominated for the awards largely because of her exploits at her immediate-past French women’s top-flight outfit Paris Saint Germain (PSG) where, among others, she won the league’s golden boot, most valuable player (MVP) and Players’ Player of the Season awards.
Fans started casting their votes for the illustrious award on Thursday and according to Fifa, the nominees were selected based on their performances between August 21 2023 and August 10 2024.
