"My sister went and said, 'No. I'll put my money, I'll book the air ticket, visa, whatever. But when you see that she's good, you'll give me back the money.'" That gamble — Tabitha Chawinga betting her own savings on her younger sister's talent — has led both of them to a WAFCON final.
Malawi are in the final of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations. First time in the tournament. First time in a final. Already qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup as a result. And driving every bit of it are two sisters from Rumphi in northern Malawi who grew up playing football with boys before anyone gave them a stadium to play in.
Three goals, one family, one semifinal statement
Against Algeria in the semi-final, the Chawinga sisters didn't just contribute — they were the entire show. Tabitha opened the scoring in the 33rd minute with a spectacular finish, Temwa doubled it before half-time by rounding the goalkeeper and rolling into an empty net, and when Algeria pulled one back to make it nervy, Tabitha killed the game in the 76th minute. Final score: 3-1. All three goals, both sisters.
That kind of performance doesn't happen by accident. These two have been reading each other since childhood, long before club football separated them across continents.
And the club careers are worth understanding, because they explain exactly why Malawi's opponents keep underestimating them. Temwa won the NWSL Golden Boot and MVP award with Kansas City Current — she's not just a national team star, she's one of the best forwards in American women's football. Tabitha became the first African player to finish as top scorer in Italy's Serie A while at Inter Milan, then moved to Lyon. Between them, they've competed at the highest levels of European and American club football.
Getting to this point wasn't straightforward
Malawi didn't ease into this tournament. They opened with a 3-2 win over defending champions Nigeria — already a result that should have put the world on notice. Then 3-1 against Egypt to top the group. Then a comeback win against Ghana in the quarter-final. Every round, they've had to earn it.
The Scorchers now face Cameroon in the final, and on current form, anyone writing them off is ignoring four matches of evidence. Cameroon will be the favourite in most eyes, and probably in the early odds too — but Malawi's semifinal performance against Algeria was composed, clinical, and built on something you can't manufacture in a training camp: two players who have trusted each other their entire lives.
Tabitha paid for the plane ticket. Now they're both on the biggest stage African women's football has to offer.
