In just two years with the Kansas City Current, Temwa Chawinga has proved herself to be one of the NWSL’s most explosive stars. She is a 2025 Ballon d’Or Féminin nominee, the 2024 NWSL MVP, and won the 2024 NWSL Golden Boot.
Chawinga went on “The Women’s Game” hosted by the one and only Sam Mewis for a special and heartwarming conversation about her career, adjusting to the U.S., and watching the rise of African footballers on the global stage.
Chawinga was born and raised in Malawi before moving to Sweden and then China to pursue professional soccer. When she signed with the Current in 2024, Chawinga had never been to the U.S.
But with encouragement from her sister Tabitha, also a professional soccer player for the OL Lyonesses, she took the leap.
“I didn’t know anything about the USA. It was my first time to come here… It was so amazing the way they received me,” she said. “I don’t miss home anymore. I have new family here.”
That new family includes her teammates. Chawinga said two in particular helped her as she was adjusting to a new team, country, and culture.
“I remember Claire Hutton and Lo [LaBonta] started talking to me a lot,” Chawinga said. “Lo and Claire are so amazing. They helped me a lot, settling down here.”
On the pitch, it took no time at all for Chawinga to make a name for herself. In just the third game of the 2024 season, she scored her first NWSL goal. She would go on to score a whopping 21 regular season goals, endearing herself quickly to the Current faithful and setting a new single season goals record in the process. Over the course of 2024, she would score against all 13 of her team’s opponents, the first player in NWSL history to do so in the same season.
Having a fanbase as dedicated as Kansas City’s was a welcome change, she said.
“The stadium is so full,” Chawinga said. “People don’t care if maybe you draw a game or you lose, next game they’ll come to support the team. It’s so amazing to have fans like that.”
Chawinga became the first Malawian player to score in the NWSL, but she is far from the only African player to come to the States to play professionally. She is just a part of a growing group, including stars like Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji, who are pushing African footballers into the spotlight.
“We know that we’re representing Africa, putting Africa on the map,” she said. “People started noticing Africa. People started knowing Malawi in the USA because of me, so it’s so amazing. We support each other here as African players.”
It’s not that these talented players weren’t there all along; they’re just finally getting the attention they deserve. Knowing she is part of that changing tide is something Chawinga doesn’t take lightly, especially for the next generation of Malawian athletes.
“It means a lot to have a younger generation to be looking up to be like me, because I didn’t know I can be here now playing soccer in this country… My aim was playing for fun, I didn’t know if I could be professional. I just give them advice that you should not give up in this life.”
As much as Chawinga is showcasing what African players can do, she is also pouring back into her home country by partnering with Freshwater International. Growing up in her village, Chawinga and her family had to walk miles to get access to clean water.
“We went to Malawi. We went to a school to give clean water and bottled water,” Chawinga said. “It was so amazing to me to give back to my home country, to my people to start finding clean water.”
You can watch the entire conversation between Chawinga and Mewis here.
