By Llywellenie Mpasa:
Malawi Women’s National Football Team star Temwa Chawinga was on target as Kansas City Current successfully defended their Teal Rising Cup title on Sunday with a ruthless 6-1 demolition of Brazil’s SE Palmeiras at CPKC Stadium.
The match was effectively settled before halftime as the hosts stormed to a franchise-record six goals in the opening 45 minutes, leaving the visitors from São Paulo chasing shadows.
All eyes, however, were on Temwa, who made a highly anticipated return to the starting lineup after a recent injury layoff.
The Malawi international wasted no time in reasserting her influence, stretching the Palmeiras defence and creating space that proved decisive.
- Advertisement -
Temwa’s movements and pace unsettled the Brazilian side throughout the first half, paving the way for Haley Hopkins to write her own piece of history with a first-half hat trick, the first ever recorded at CPKC Stadium.
Temwa then delivered the moment the home crowd had been waiting for.
With Current already 5-0 up, she latched onto a perfectly weighted through ball, burst clear of the defence and calmly slotted home to make it 6–0 before the break.
Speaking after the emphatic victory, head coach Vlatko Andonovski hailed Temwa’s return as a game-changer.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
“To see Temwa back out there, moving with that kind of freedom, changes everything for us. She is not just a goal scorer; she is a psychological edge,” Andonovski said.
Temwa was later withdrawn to a standing ovation as the technical panel carefully managed her minutes ahead of the demanding National Women’s Soccer League schedule.
Her strike, the first of the 2026 calendar year, signalled a strong comeback after a record-breaking 2025 campaign in which she became the first player in league history to score 20 goals in a single season.
Palmeiras managed a consolation goal after the break, but it did little to dent the dominance of the American side.
