Let's Not Wait
The omission of Malawian striker Tabitha Chawinga from the list of finalists for the CAF African Female Footballer of the Year award, at the awards ceremony held in Morocco, has raised lively but fierce debate about the criteria used to select the finalists. She had enjoyed a standout season while on loan to Inter Milan in the Italian Serie A Femminile and was voted Italian Female Footballer of the Year as well as Golden Boot winner after top-scoring with 23 goals. In this interview with Soccer Laduma's Thomas Kwenaite, she will not butt her head about why she had been snubbed by CAF as she feels African football's mother body was in a better position to explain the criteria they use to nominate players. She also talks about her attributes compared to Nigeria's deadly Asisat Oshoala and Mzansi's finest, Thembi Kgatlana. Chawinga also voices her displeasure that in the COSAFA Cup, the winners get prize money, yet the womenfolk get a mere round of applause for winning the same competition.
Thomas Kwenaite: Congratulations for winning the Player of the Year award in Italy. It must be obviously an honour at such a tough league in the world.
Tabitha Chawinga: Thank you. I am truly honoured to have won that title and be honoured from one of the biggest leagues in Europe.
TK: You certainly enjoyed a standout year for Inter Milan and we are wondering why you left at the end of the year?
TC: I went on a one-year loan and I must say being at Inter Milan aligned with my goal to play in Europe again. But I have had standout years playing in Sweden and also in China too, but you will agree that the Chinese league is not overly publicised by many international media outlets, neither is it accessible on social media platforms.
TK: But it must also be bittersweet, for you to have been snubbed by CAF for nomination as a finalist in the African Female Footballer of the Year.
TC: Not at all, football is a calling and purpose for my life. Recognition and awards are great, but nothing is greater than living and fulfilling my God-given purpose. At the appointed time, all awards that have my name on them will come. And I am grateful that I have been included in the CAF Best XI, I'm really humbled.
TK: Do you think you got snubbed by CAF because your country Malawi did not qualify for the Wafcon or the FIFA World Cup?
TC: I suppose those could be some of the reasons, but CAF is in a better position to clarify the reason why I never made the final list. I think they are in a position to clarify the criteria used to select players.
TK: What qualities do you feel you possess that you believe give you an edge over Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa), Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria) and Barbara Banda (Zambia)?
TC: They are, all of them, great footballers and I enjoy watching them. But like I said earlier, football is my calling and life purpose and it has given me a channel/platform to inspire the rural African girl to believe in possibilities. Every opportunity I get to play football, I step into that purpose and approach it with humility and seriousness. As to whether that gives me an edge or not is not my primary focus.
TK: How would you sum up your performance in the French League compared to Italy last year?
TC: I am enjoying my time in France for Paris Saint-Germain and settling in at a good pace. My performance is ok, but I intend to grow and refine it. My exposure to the UEFA Women's Champions League is adding a dimension of exposure that I didn't have before. So, I am having to learn, adapt and implement fast.
TK: Are you still on loan from Wuhan Jiangshan or what is your status with them, and when does your contract with them expire?
TC: I am on loan yes, but this was a consultative process and my goals and aspirations were highly considered. All other details will be made public at the right time, but my contract with Wuhan expires at the end of December 2024.
TK: Tabitha, what are your plans with your parent club as they do not seem to value you by loaning you out every season?
TC: As I alluded before, my going on loan doesn't automatically translate to me being undervalued by my parent club. I know Wuhan values my contributions, but like I said, my goals and aspirations had to be considered and through discussions involving all parties, we arrived at decisions that served all interests without jeopardizing my aspirations of continuing to play in Europe.
TK: Did your country enter the qualifications for the Wafcon 2024?
TC: The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) did not enter for Wafcon qualifications. The reasons why Malawi did not enter would be better explored with the Football Association Malawi (FAM).
TK: What will it take for PSG to win the league against strong challenges from Lyon and Paris FC?
TC: As we speak, we are lying third behind Lyon and Paris FC. But Lyon and Paris have played two more games. Having said that, games in hand does not guarantee points. Teamwork, focus and resilience will have to be applied to achieve our goals. A hunger beyond the normal will push us to dig more deeper in our output and I believe the hunger is there from the top up.
TK: How was victory in the COSAFA Cup achieved in terms of the planning?
TC: During the planning and preparations for the 2023 COSAFA Cup, I was transitioning from Wuhan to PSG, so I don't have inside info, but it has been the case in previous years that the Scorchers (national team) go into camp for mental and on-field trainings. This year, they also had an international friendly with Seychelles just to ensure the squad was wellprepared for the games. I was proud to see them finally cross the line to become regional champions.
TK: How did you feel when Malawi defeated long-time nemesis South Africa?
TC: It always feels great to beat the champions and it gives the squad more confidence for any opposition coming ahead. Beating South Africa 4-3 in the opening game gave us a big boost. Then we gave eSwatini 8-0 in the next game and by then the confidence was sky-high. But it required superhuman effort to beat Zambia 2-1 in the final. In the end, it was a deserved victory and a good tournament that we had.
TK: How do your parents feel now after initially refusing to allow you to play football?
TC: Like many parents who have faced this conflict, they also have come to understand and appreciate that football is my life calling. It's something that I derive a lot of joy out of participating in and to see them follow me and my sister's football careers religiously has been worth the sacrifice.
TK: After playing a role in your sister also getting to China, how would it feel to play in the same team with her?
TC: I have played with my sister in Sweden and I was playing with her in China. We read each other's thoughts so well it is like we are twins. She knows exactly where I will be and when she makes a run, I instinctively know where to put the ball – it's telepathic. I enjoy playing with Temwa, it feels magical.
TK: Who is your favourite player of all time?
TC: The retired Marta from Brazil. She was one of the finest strikers of the ball. Her movements on and off the ball were educational, which highlighted the reason why when you watched her, she made goalscoring look simple.
TK: Which coach has brought the best out of you?
TC: I have been through some amazing coaches, but I really enjoy those that push me to dig deep, help me leverage my existing strengths and appreciate my efforts whilst correcting my mistakes game by game. I must say I am enjoying the coaching of my PSG coach, Jocelyn Precheur.
TK: What, in your view, needs to be done for women's football to develop and advance?
TC: Different parts of Africa are also at different levels of development in terms of women's football. But to provide a general answer for the African continent, I would say more financial resources have to be invested from grassroots to identify and nurture girls' talent in football, provide opportunities for exposure and deliberate effort to aggressively showcase African female footballers as role models to challenge the status quo, which will allow more girls to freely participate in football. Just to cite as an example, on financial investment, I was saddened to learn that the COSAFA Cup champions for women are offered no monetary prize, but our male counterparts receive prize money.
TK: Are we producing enough female coaches in Africa seeing that most national women's teams coaches are males?
TC: The number of female coaches is growing, but it could be better. I would implore on every woman interested in the coaching role to take up the challenge and begin to adequately equip themselves with relevant knowledge, skills and knowhow to rise to the occasion when opportunities present themselves for women to step forward to coach and manage teams. Let's not wait. In addition, the crop of retiring amazing women footballers like Marta could also consider taking up this challenge to become coaches. This would push the numbers more quickly and provide great inspiration on and off the field.
TK: Thank you for your time, Tabitha, and best of luck going forward.
TC: It was an honour.
