Malawi Women’s National Football Team striker Temwa Chawinga continues to hog the limelight after she was nominated for the 2026 Ballon award
Organisers of this year’ edition released the list of 30 beat women’s footballers in the world yesterday ahead of the gala award scheduled for October 26, 2026 in London, England.
This is her second consecutive nomination for the accolade having finished 17th last year.
Temwa and Zambian striker Barbara Banda are the only female African players nominated for the award.
This follows their impressive performance for both club and country during the period under review. Temwa and Banda scored five goals each at the 2026 Caf Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) finals in Morocco last month.
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The Malawian won the Wafcon golden boot award due to an assist tie breaker.
However, her sister Tabitha Chawinga has missed out on this year’s nomination. Tabitha finished 16th in 2024.
In an interview Tuesday, Temwa said she felt honoured.
“I am humbled with the nomination. It means a lot to me and also to Malawians. I thank my teammates for supporting me,” she said.
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The Kansas City Current striker helped the Scorchers finish second at Wafcon and also qualify for the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Football Association of Malawi (Fam) President Fleetwood Haiya hailed Temwa for her exploits, saying it was a recognition for her hard work and consistency.
“This is a proud moment for Malawian football and a testament to your extraordinary talent, hard work, consistency and determination. To be recognised among the very best players in world football is an incredible achievement.
“As the race continues, I wish you every success in the run in. Keep inspiring, keep raising the Malawian flag, and keep showing the world what our footballers can achieve,” Haiya said.
The Malawian retained the golden boot award in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) after scoring 15 goals last season.
Currently, she has nine goals, three goals behind Banda in the league.
