It’s Temwa time as Malawi shock the world – Equalizer Soccer

Photo via Football Association of Malawi

Malawi’s run to the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final was one of the great surprises of recent times — the lowest-ranked side at the tournament coming within 90 minutes of winning it. At the same time, this performance was a confirmation of sorts for Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga.

Unquestionably one of the National Women’s Soccer League’s best players, MVP the last two seasons, this was Chawinga’s first opportunity to impact a major international tournament, as Malawi had never qualified for WAFCON before. She went on to win the Top Scorer award with five goals, her two assists putting her ahead of Zambia’s Barbra Banda and Cameroon’s Marie Ngah.

More than the goals, Chawinga took on a different tactical role for her country than she usually does with the Kansas City Current at club level. Leading the line gave her a chance to show other skills and underline the diversity and overall quality of her game.

With the Current, Chawinga typically plays off the left wing in a 4-2-3-1 system. It’s a role that involves more tracking back than if she were to simply play up front, but she has always shown a willingness to take on a bit of extra defensive work. Offensively, it opens up all sorts of different opportunities for her and her team.

In the past, when powerful Brazilian forward Bia Zaneratto was with the club, Chawinga was able to play underneath a target striker, latching on to lay-offs and second balls. Bia left last year, so that focal point presence is no longer there, but Chawinga continues to play this secondary role.

One of the advantages of playing “off” the main striker in this system is that Chawinga isn’t directly up against defenders and has that extra second or two to gain momentum on her run as she approaches the last line. She is then at top speed as she passes through the defense, making it even harder for opponents to catch her as they turn.