Let’s Not Wait
The omission of Malawian striker Tabitha Chawinga from the list of finalists for the CAF African Female Footballer of the Year award, at the awards ceremony held in Morocco, has raised lively but fierce debate about the criteria used to select the finalists. She had enjoyed a standout season while on loan to Inter Milan in the Italian Serie A Femminile and was voted Italian Female Footballer of the Year as well as Golden Boot winner after top-scoring with 23 goals. In this interview with Soccer Laduma’s Thomas Kwenaite, she will not butt her head about why she had been snubbed by CAF as she feels African football’s mother body was in a better position to explain the criteria they use to nominate players. She also talks about her attributes compared to Nigeria’s deadly Asisat Oshoala and Mzansi’s finest, Thembi Kgatlana. Chawinga also voices her displeasure that in the COSAFA Cup, the winners get prize money, yet the womenfolk get a mere round of applause for winning the same competition.
Thomas Kwenaite: Congratulations for winning the Player of the Year award in Italy. It must be obviously an honour at such a tough league in the world.
