US-based Malawi Women’s National Football Team striker Temwa Chawinga continues to hog the limelight as she is the only African female player nominated for the 2025 Best Fifa Women’s Player award.
This follows her impressive performance for Kansas City Current in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in the US.
Fifa released the list which comprises 17 best female players in the world.
Temwa, who has also been nominated for the 2025 Caf African Women’s Footballer of the Year award, will compete against record winner Aitana Bonmati (Spain, Barcelona), Lucy Bronze (England), Kadidiatou Dianni (France, Lyon), Alexia Putellas (Spain), Melchie Durmonay (France, Lyon), Lauren James, Chloe Kelly, Leah Williamson (all England) and Claudia Pina (Barcelona, Spain).
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The list also includes Ewa Pajor (Poland), Lindsey Heaps (USA), Patri Guijarro, Mariona Caldentey, Nathalie Bjorn, Sandy Baltimore.
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This is the first time for Temwa to be nominated for the accolade in her career.
But recently, she finished on position 17 in the Ballon d’Or.
Temwa felt honoured with the nomination.
“I did not expect it. I am really humbled and honoured,” she said.
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The Current forward has broken several records in the NWSL for two consecutive years.
Her elder sister Tabitha, who finished seventh last year following her impressive performance with Paris Saint Germain, has been excluded from the list.
Last week, she became the second player in NWSL history to retain the golden boot award with 15 goals.
She joined Sam Kerr’s record who retained the award for three consecutive years from 2017 to 2019.
She became the fastest player to score 25 goals in the regular season. She achieved that in six fewer matches than anyone else.
The former Wuhan Jiangda striker became the first female player to reach a 30-goal mark in just 40 matches in NWSL history.
The Malawian broke Kerr’s record for most goals in a regular season of 18 goals in 2019, when she won the golden boot award with 20 goals last season. Additionally, she was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in her debut season in the US.
Football Association of Malawi (Fam) president Fleetwood Haiya hailed Temwa for her nomination. “This is an outstanding achievement that continues to showcase your consistency, talent and commitment to excellence. Keep shining and inspiring the next generation of players,” Haiya said.
Temwa missed Scorchers matches against Angola last month due to groin injury.
But the Scorchers qualified for the first ever TotalEnergies Caf Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) finals to be staged from March 17 to April 3 in Morocco next year.
