Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga have both been nominated for the 2026 CAF Women’s Player of the Year award, placing Malawi’s footballing rise within one of the continent’s most visible sporting honours. CAF announced the women’s nominations on 3 November, with the ceremony scheduled for 7 December in Lagos.

The sisters’ inclusion is confirmed in the official CAF announcement. It follows a year in which Malawi reached its first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final and secured its first Women’s World Cup qualification. These are nominations rather than awards already won, and the distinction matters as attention builds towards December.

Recognition extends beyond two famous names

The Football Association of Malawi’s account identifies recognition across several categories. In addition to the Chawingas, Malawi has a young-player nominee, goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo in contention for her category, and the Scorchers on the national-team shortlist.

The association describes Temwa’s contribution to the continental campaign, including five goals and two assists. It also highlights Tabitha’s leadership and the wider squad’s progress under coach Lovemore Fazili. Those details broaden the story beyond a comparison between two forwards: an international breakthrough depends on players performing different roles.

For supporters abroad, the club connection is especially visible. Temwa plays for Kansas City Current in the United States, while Tabitha represents OL Lyonnes in France. Their careers provide distinct points of entry for audiences following African players through North American and European club football.

The competition is continental

CAF’s player shortlist also includes Cameroon’s Marie Ngah Manga, Michaely Bihina and Monique Ngock, alongside Zambia’s Barbra Banda and South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana. The nominations therefore reflect several national and club pathways rather than one dominant football market.

OL Lyonnes confirmed Tabitha’s nomination on 3 November and connected it with her performances for Malawi. The club’s statement also acknowledges Temwa’s place in the field, illustrating how a continental award can bring international club audiences back to an African national-team story.

PUNCH’s reporting on 4 November focuses on the absence of a Nigerian player from the senior player shortlist. That is a significant contrast with Nigeria’s past prominence, but it should not obscure Nigerian representation elsewhere in the awards. Recognition in one category and a country’s overall football strength are different questions.

What the nominations can, and cannot, show

Our assessment is that Malawi’s spread of nominations is useful evidence of a broader team achievement receiving attention. It is not, on its own, proof that domestic development needs have been solved. Individual success can create visibility while the conditions facing younger players remain a separate issue.

The next questions concern continuity: can national-team momentum help sustain regular competition, coaching and opportunities for emerging talent? Can media coverage explain the goalkeeper’s and younger players’ contributions as clearly as the goals scored by established stars?

Those are questions for follow-up reporting, not claims of new funding or programmes announced with this shortlist. Awards can reward achievement, but they cannot substitute for the work that allows another generation to compete.

A shortlist is also not a ranking of every player on the continent. The omission of a name does not, without further evidence, establish why selectors made their decision. Equally, a nomination does not tell readers who will win. Keeping those limits clear allows coverage to celebrate the recognised players without turning speculation about the selection process into fact.

Following the story responsibly

For African and diaspora media, the nominations are an opportunity to introduce players through their football rather than treating identity as their entire story. Roles, performances, clubs and team context give audiences a more useful account of why an athlete is being recognised.

RIM’s recent coverage of African women’s rugby success in Dakar raises a related issue: a breakthrough becomes more consequential when audiences keep following the sport afterwards. Malawi’s December awards prospects offer a new moment of attention. The lasting story is what happens between those moments.

Why this matters

Malawi’s nominations connect national-team progress with players competing in Africa, Europe and North America. For diaspora supporters, they offer a way to follow both established stars and the wider squad. The opportunity is to turn awards attention into sustained interest in women’s football, while keeping the shortlist separate from final results and from unverified claims about funding or development.

Sources

Topics: Malawi · CAF Awards · Women’s football · Chawinga sisters · African sport

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