Chawinga sisters, Temwa and Tabitha, will lead the Malawi senior women’s football team’s final 23-member squad for the 2025 Women Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) warm-up matches against Zambia.
The Scorchers coach Lovemore Fazili named the Lyon star Tabitha and her younger sister, who plays Kansas City Current in the USA's NWSL, in the traveling party on Monday afternoon.
The America-based Temwa has since joined the squad bound for Zambia ahead of Saturday’s friendly against the Copper Queens followed by a reverse fixture on Tuesday at Woodlands Stadium in Lusaka.
Malawi’s delegation will leave for Lusaka on Tuesday morning and are expected to be joined by four other foreign-based players who will fly directly from their bases.
Both teams are eager to prepare their squads for the WAFCON qualifiers with Malawi set to face either Angola or Zimbabwe in the final qualifying round.
Malawi have never set foot on WAFCON finals and sailed through to the final round without kicking a ball after Congo withdrew from the first round. Zambia will begin the qualifiers in the second round, facing either Eswatini or Namibia.
Final squad
Goalkeepers
Mercy Sikelo (Kukoma Ntopwa Women), Yamikani Kaonga (MDF Lioness)
Defenders
Chimwemwe Madise (TP Mazembe), Bernadetta Mkandawire (FC Bikk-Kazygurt), Irene Khumalo (Silver Strikers Ladies), Rose Alufandika (Kukoma Ntopwa Women), Tamala Simeza (Blue Eagles Ladies), Maggie Chavula (Ascent Soccer)
Midfielders
Rose Kabzere (Montpellier, France), Vanessa Chakupira (FC Bikk-Kazygurt), Faith Chinzimu, Letticia Chinyamula (both Ascent Soccer), Carolyne Mathyola (Silver Strikers Ladies), Tendai Sani, Zainab Kapanda (both FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Women), Funny Magombo (Kukoma Ntopwa Women), Sara Mulimbika (Ndirande Soccer Giants).
Strikers
Sabina Thom (TP Mazembe, DRC), Chisomo Banda (Silver Strikers Ladies), Catherine Kachala (MDF Lioness), Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City, US), Tabitha Chawinga (Lyon, France).
Conspicuously missing from the squad is winger Asimenye Simwaka, who opted to concentrate on a national cross-country championship and defended her gold over the weekend. Rwanda-based Mary Chavinda of Rayon FC and Zambia’s Green Buffaloes forward Vannesa Chikupila did not make the final squad.
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