KC Current star Temwa Chawinga to play for Malawi at African Cup of Nations
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- Temwa Chawinga will represent Malawi at the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
- Malawi faces Nigeria on July 28, Egypt on Aug. 1, and Zambia on Aug. 5 in group play.
- The 2026 WAFCON doubles as a WWC qualifier, with four semifinalists advancing.
After more than a year, Kansas City Current star Temwa Chawinga is returning to suit up for her native country, Malawi.
Chawinga, and her sister, Tabitha, will be leading Malawi in the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. This will be her first appearance with the national team since February 2025.
The prestigious tournament will also serve as a 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifier for African nations; the four semifinalists automatically qualify for the World Cup.
WAFCON was postponed to its July 25 start date from March, placing the tournament a little more than a week after the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
Malawi begins the tournament against defending champion Nigeria on July 28 at 3 p.m. Central before facing Egypt on Saturday, Aug. 1, at noon. Their final group-stage match is against Zambia and Orlando Pride star Barbra Banda at 3 p.m. on Aug. 5.
Fans can watch the tournament across several platforms such as beIN Sports, SuperSport, and the CAF TV platform.
Chawinga has represented Malawi since her debut as an 18-year-old in 2016. She captained Malawi to lifting the 2023 COSAFA Women’s Championship (a tournament between Southern African teams) where she won both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball for scoring nine goals.
She has at least 16 caps and more than 22 goals for the Scorchers.
Chawinga, third in the NWSL Golden Boot race with eight goals, will play with the Current at 7 p.m. Friday against Angel City FC before joining her national team.
