# Tabitha Chawinga

Tabitha Chaŵinga (born 22 May 1996) is a Malawian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Première Ligue club Lyon and the Malawi national team.

## Early life

Born on May 19, 1996, in Rumphi District in northern Malawi, Chaŵinga is the third of five children born to her parents. She is of Tumbuka ethnicity. She began playing football at age five and played with boys until age 13 when she began playing for girls' club, DD Sunshine in the capital city, Lilongwe. Already at this age she was forced to undress because "Her opponents did not believe she was female because of her physical appearance and how well she played." Her sister Temwa Chawinga is also a professional footballer.

## Club career
### Krokom/Dvärsätts IF, 2014

At age 18, Chaŵinga played for Swedish third-division club Krokom/Dvärsätts IF [sv], where she earned the league's golden boot after scoring 39 goals in 18 games. She was the first women's footballer from Malawi to play for a European club.

### Kvarnsvedens IK, 2015–2017

Chaŵinga joined Kvarnsvedens IK in Sweden's Elitettan in 2015. In her debut for the club, she scored a brace in a 4–0 win over Lidköpings FK. The club finished in first place during the regular season with a 21–2–3 record. Chaŵinga was the league's top scorer with 43 goals – 14 more than the next highest scorer. The club's first place finish secured them promotion to the Damallsvenskan for the 2016 season.
During the 2016 season, Chaŵinga was the third highest scorer in the league with 15 goals.
In 2017, she finished as the league's top scorer with 26 goals, despite her club's relegation from the Swedish top flight at the end of the season.

### Jiangsu Suning, 2018–2021

After successful spells in Sweden, Chaŵinga gained the interest from various top clubs abroad and eventually signed for Chinese side Jiangsu Suning, reportedly for a record-breaking transfer fee in Swedish women's football. On 6 May 2018, she scored the winning goal in her full-length debut away to Shanghai.
Chaŵinga received the Player of the Year Award in her debut season playing in the Chinese Women's Super League. She scored 31 goals in all competitions, 17 being in the CWSL. She retained the award in 2019–20, scoring 12 league goals (38 in all competitions) and helping Jiangsu to a historic quadruple.

### Wuhan Jiangda 2021–2024

After the main sponsor of Jiangsu Suning stopped supporting Chaŵinga, she moved to Wuhan Jiangda where her sister Temwa played. Wuhan sent her on successive loan spells to Inter Milan and Paris Saint Germain. After her loan spell with Paris Saint Germain, without returning to China, Chaŵinga signed for reigning French champions Lyon.

### Inter Milan (loan), 2022–23

Chaŵinga signed a one-year loan deal with Inter Milan for the 2022–23 season. She was the top scorer in Serie A with 23 goals for Inter Milan, 16 of them in the regular season. She was the first African woman to be the highest-scoring player in Serie A.

### Paris Saint-Germain (loan), 2023–2024

Chaŵinga joined Paris Saint-Germain on a season long loan deal. Chaŵinga reunited with manager Gérard Prêcheur, under whom she had worked during the 2018–19 CWSL season with Jiangsu Suning. However, he left the position in September 2023.
Chaŵinga scored her first goal for PSG in a 1–0 victory away at Saint-Etienne. She also became the first Malawian to play and score in the UEFA Women's Champion's League with her goal in a 1–1 tie with Manchester United.
In the 74th minute against BK Häcken in the first leg of the 2023–24 Champions League quarterfinal, Chaŵinga scored the winning goal making it 2–1.

## International career

Chaŵinga serves as captain for Malawi.
Due to club football, Chaŵinga was absent from Malawi's 2023 victory in the COSAFA Women's Championship.
In February 2025 returned from France to join other Malawian players picked to play Zambia. She was one of seven players based abroad who were included in Lovemore Fazili's Zambia squad. Sabinah Thom and Chimwemwe Madise also made the team and they are contracted to play in the Democratic Republic of Congo while Rose Kabzere also returned from France. Bernadette Mkandawire was with Vanessa Chikupira in Zambia and Temwa Chawinga joined them from America.

## Personal life

Chaŵinga's sister Temwa is also a Malawian international footballer.

## Career statistics
### Club

Appearances and goals by club, season, and competition. Only official games are included in this table. :
| Club | Season | League | League | Cup | Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Continental | Continental | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| DD Sunshine | 2009–10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DD Sunshine | 2010–11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DD Sunshine | 2011–12 | 14 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 40 |
| DD Sunshine | 2012–13 | 10 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 43 |
| DD Sunshine | 2013–14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 24 | 83 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 83 |
| Krokom/Dvärsätts IF [sv] | 2014 | 18 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 39 |
| Kvarnsvedens IK | 2015 | 26 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 43 |
| Kvarnsvedens IK | 2016 | 22 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 15 |
| Kvarnsvedens IK | 2017 | 22 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 26 |
| Total | Total | 70 | 83 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 86 |
| Jiangsu Suning | 2018 | 14 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 17 |
| Jiangsu Suning | 2019 | 14 | 12 | 2+ | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 20+ | 21 |
| Jiangsu Suning | 2020 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 7 |
| Total | Total | 40 | 36 | 2+ | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44+ | 42 |
| Wuhan Jianghan University | 2021 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 9 |
| Wuhan Jianghan University | 2022 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 8 |
| Wuhan Jianghan University | 2023 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Total | Total | 27 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 20 |
| Inter Milan (loan) | 2022–23 | 23 | 23 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 26 |
| Paris Saint-Germain (loan) | 2023–24 | 21 | 19 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 6 | 38 | 29 |
| Lyon | 2023–24 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 21 | 7 |
| Lyon | Total | 238 | 310 | 12+ | 14 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 8 | 270+ | 332+ |

### International goals

| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 13 September 2017 | Barbourfields Stadium, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe | Zambia | 1–0 | 3–6 | 2017 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 2. | 13 September 2017 | Barbourfields Stadium, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe | Zambia | 2–3 | 3–6 | 2017 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 3. | 13 September 2017 | Barbourfields Stadium, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe | Zambia | 3–5 | 3–6 | 2017 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 4. | 15 September 2017 | Barbourfields Stadium, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe | Madagascar | 1–0 | 6–3 | 2017 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 5. | 15 September 2017 | Barbourfields Stadium, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe | Madagascar | 2–0 | 6–3 | 2017 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 6. | 15 September 2017 | Barbourfields Stadium, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe | Madagascar | 5–3 | 6–3 | 2017 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 7. | 15 September 2017 | Barbourfields Stadium, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe | Madagascar | 6–3 | 6–3 | 2017 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 8. | 17 September 2017 | Luveve Stadium, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | 2–3 | 3–3 | 2017 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 9. | 17 September 2017 | Luveve Stadium, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe | 3–3 | 3–3 | 2017 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 10. | 4 April 2019 | Kamuzu Stadium, Blantyre, Malawi | Mozambique | 1–0 | 11–1 | 2020 CAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament |
| 11. | 4 April 2019 | Kamuzu Stadium, Blantyre, Malawi | Mozambique | 3–0 | 11–1 | 2020 CAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament |
| 12. | 4 April 2019 | Kamuzu Stadium, Blantyre, Malawi | Mozambique | 11–0 | 11–1 | 2020 CAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament |
| 13. | 9 April 2019 | Estádio do Zimpeto, Maputo, Mozambique | Mozambique | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2020 CAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament |
| 14. | 28 August 2019 | Kamuzu Stadium, Blantyre, Malawi | Kenya | 2–1 | 3–2 | 2020 CAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament |
| 15. | 28 August 2019 | Kamuzu Stadium, Blantyre, Malawi | Kenya | 3–1 | 3–2 | 2020 CAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament |
| 16. | 7 November 2020 | Wolfson Stadium, Ibhayi, South Africa | Lesotho | 2–0 | 9–0 | 2020 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 17. | 7 November 2020 | Wolfson Stadium, Ibhayi, South Africa | Lesotho | 4–0 | 9–0 | 2020 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 18. | 7 November 2020 | Wolfson Stadium, Ibhayi, South Africa | Lesotho | 5–0 | 9–0 | 2020 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 19. | 7 November 2020 | Wolfson Stadium, Ibhayi, South Africa | Lesotho | 6–0 | 9–0 | 2020 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 20. | 7 November 2020 | Wolfson Stadium, Ibhayi, South Africa | Lesotho | 8–0 | 9–0 | 2020 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 21. | 7 November 2020 | Wolfson Stadium, Ibhayi, South Africa | Lesotho | 9–0 | 9–0 | 2020 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 22. | 12 November 2020 | Wolfson Stadium, Ibhayi, South Africa | South Africa | 2–6 | 2–6 | 2020 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 23. | 5 September 2022 | NMU Stadium, Gqeberha, South Africa | Comoros | 3–0 | 6–0 | 2022 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 24. | 5 September 2022 | NMU Stadium, Gqeberha, South Africa | Comoros | 4–0 | 6–0 | 2022 COSAFA Women's Championship |
| 25. | 5 September 2022 | NMU Stadium, Gqeberha, South Africa | Comoros | 5–0 | 6–0 | 2022 COSAFA Women's Championship |

## Honours

Kvarnsvedens IK
* Elitettan winner: 2015
Jiangsu Suning
* Chinese Women's Super League: 2019
* Chinese National Women's Football Championship: 2019
* Chinese Women's FA Cup: 2019
* Chinese Women's Super Cup : 2019
* AFC Women's Club Championship runner-up: 2019
Wuhan Jianghan University
* Chinese Women's Super League: 2021
Paris Saint-Germain
* Coupe de France: 2023–24
Individual
* Elitettan top scorer: 2015
* Damallsvenskan top scorer: 2017
* Sweden Forward of the Year: 2017
* IFFHS CAF Women's Team of the Decade 2011–2020
* IFFHS All-time Africa Women's Dream Team: 2021
* Chinese Women's Super League top scorer: 2018, 2019, 2021
* Chinese Women's Super League Player of the Year: 2018, 2019
* Serie A Female Footballer of the Year: 2022–23
* Serie A Women's Team of the Year: 2022–23
* UNFP Division 1 Féminine Player of the Year: 2023–24
* Trophées FFF D1 Féminine Best Player: 2023–24
* UEFA Women's Champions League Team of the Season: 2023–24
* UNFP Division 1 Féminine Team of the Year: 2023–24
* Trophées FFF D1 Féminine Team of the Season: 2023–24
* Division 1 Féminine Player of the Month: February 2024, March 2024