Malawi National Women’s Football Team forward Temwa Chawinga has said she wants to win the league championship with her United States (US) side Kansas City in her debut season.
Temwa was speaking ahead of her team’s National Women’s Soccer League fixture against Racing Louisville Saturday.
She goes into the match with five goals in nine matches, three scored at home and two away.
Kansas remain unbeaten and are on top of the league with 21 points, at par with Orlando Pride, after edging North Carolina Courage 1-0 recently.
Temwa said her dream is to win the league title as she has done on several occasions in China.
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“I want to thank God for the good form I am enjoying here. I should also thank my teammates for the support they have been giving me. I had an injury at some point but I am now fully fit and back on the pitch. Winning the league title in my first season here is my utmost priority,” she said.
Despite not scoring against Courage, Temwa was instrumental to her team’s success.
“Forward Temwa Chawinga had plenty of opportunities in the match. She alone had eight shots in this game, the highest total for a Kansas City Current player this season. In the 14th minute, Chawinga zig-zagged through two defenders, making them miss her with a shot to the right corner of the box, forcing the Courage goalkeeper to stretch out to make a save.
“Chawinga would take another shot after breaking through two defenders in the 36th minute, but the ball just skimmed past the goal. In the 52nd minute the Current’s relentless pursuit paid off. Chawinga drove toward the goal from the left side. She sent a curling shot to the far post, but North Carolina’s goalkeeper was just able to get her hand on it and deflect it across the goalmouth. In the perfect place to pick up the rebound, Debinha jumped on the deflected shot and sent it home to the back of the net,” the match report on Current’s website reads.
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National Women’s Football Association President Adelaide Migogo said Temwa’s outstanding performance should inspire local players in the country to aim high.
“Temwa is, indeed, doing well in the United States. She is simply continuing with what she used to do in China and here at home with the national team. As an association, we are very happy to see our players performing well abroad,” Migogo said.
Temwa moved to the US last season from Chinese side Wuhan where she finished the year as the leading goal scorer among both male and female players worldwide, with 63 goals. This earned her recognition from the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.
