Malawi Sisters Score Their Way to Historic Cup Final
Two sisters from a tiny village in Malawi defied everyone who said girls couldn't play football and are now leading their country to its first ever continental championship final. Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga have scored nine of their team's 12 goals at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations.
When Tabitha Chawinga started playing football with boys in her village using balls made from plastic and paper, her own mother beat her out of embarrassment.
Now 30, Tabitha and her younger sister Temwa are living proof that dreams can survive doubt. The sisters have carried tournament newcomers Malawi to Sunday's Women's Africa Cup of Nations final against Cameroon, stunning the football world.
Malawi ranks 153rd globally in women's football. Yet these two forwards from Rumphi district have scored nine of their nation's 12 goals in Morocco, with Temwa leading all scorers with five strikes.
Their journey started when Tabitha refused to quit despite friends telling her "no women can play football in this world." At 18, she became the first Malawian woman to play in Europe after a Swedish third division team took a chance on her.
She scored 39 goals in 14 games that first season. Tabitha went on to win three league titles in China, score in the Champions League for Paris St-Germain, and help Lyon win back to back championships.
Temwa followed her sister's path, with Tabitha opening doors and offering advice to "fight hard and pursue what you want without listening to distracting people." The 27 year old made her own history in 2023 by outscoring Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland to become the world's top goalscorer with 63 total goals.
She now plays for Kansas City Current in America's top league, where she won MVP honors in both 2024 and 2025. The sisters even won a Chinese league title together in 2021 while playing for the same club.
Why This Inspires
Their success carries special meaning beyond the trophies. Tabitha credits her Christian faith and sees her role as proving to girls across Africa that women can compete at the highest levels.
Every goal they score sends a message back to villages like theirs, where girls still face pressure to give up sports. Their mother, who once disapproved, now watches her daughters represent their nation on the continent's biggest stage.
Neither sister has won African Women's Footballer of the Year despite their achievements, but Sunday's final offers something bigger: a chance to win Malawi's first ever continental title.
Two sisters who made footballs from plastic scraps now stand 90 minutes from making history for 20 million people back home.
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Based on reporting by BBC Sport
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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