President Chakwera on Sunday hosted Scorchers captain Tabitha Chawinga and her family to a luncheon at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.

The luncheon,according to State House press secretary Anthony Kasunda, was aimed at honouring the player for her achievement.

President Chakwera (R) recieves an Inter Milan jersey from Tabitha
(2ndR) as the First Lady (L) and Temwa looks on

The Scorchers captain won the Serie A Femminile League Golden Boot with 23 goals to become the first African to achieve this.

The meeting with the President follows a statement the President issued last week after Tabitha was confirmed as the Golden Boot winner.

Chakwera said in the statement: “Tabitha’s historic accomplishment is a testament to her hard work, dedication, and talent. She has not only made history but also inspired countless young girls and women in Malawi and across Africa.”

Kasunda said this time, the President expressed his solidarity and pride in the strides that the footballer is making in person.

On her part, Chawinga expressed her gratitude for the support she has received from Malawians and her hope to inspire more girls to pursue their dreams.

Chawinga was accompanied by her parents and sister Temwa, who plays for China Women’s Super League side Wuhan and National Women’s Football Association chairperson Adellaide Migogo.

Born on May 19 1996, in Rumphi District, Tabitha began playing football at five alongside boys until she was 13, when Lilongwe-based DD Sunshine, now Silver Strikers Women’s Football Club, signed her.

In 2014, Swedish third-division club Krokom/Dvärsätts IF signed Tabitha to become the first Malawian woman to be signed by a European club.

At Krokom/Dvärsätts IF, she won league’s Golden Boot in her debut season after scoring 39 goals in 18 games.

In 2015 she moved to Kvarnsvedens IK in Sweden’s Elitettan and also won the Golden Boot in her debut season with 43 goals.

During the 2016 season, Tabitha was the third highest scorer in the league with 15 goals and went on to win the Golden Boot again in 2017 with 26 goals.

In 2018, he signed for Chinese Women’s SuperLeague side Jiangsu Suning, where she also won the Golden Boot in 2018, 2019 and 2021 and was also Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019.

In 2021, she joined Wuhan Jiangda and was later loaned to Inter Milan Women.

The post Tabitha, family meet Chakwera, First Lady first appeared on The Nation Online.