Tabitha Chawinga shines again as PSG oust Manchester United in UEFA Women’s Champions League
After scoring in the first leg of the UEFA Women’s Champions League in England in which Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) earned an important away goal in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United, Tabitha Chawinga stole the show on Wednesday with fabulous assists in the 3-1 win.
A report by Sky News says in the 17th minute, Tabitha broke through only for goalkeeper Mary Earps to block her shot but Lieke Martens pounced on the rebound and curled past the United and England international.
This came after PSG started strongly and looked like taking the lead after 10 minutes when Tabitha rounded goalkeeper Earps but shot tamely with United’s Maya Le Tissier clearing away.
United midfielder Lisa Naalsund brought the tie level in the 47th minute at the Parc des Princes but just a minute later the home side were back in front as Martens scored her second from close range following more good work by Tabitha.
Then came a moment when Tabitha burst out and found the pass on the left of the goal area, quickly sent a cross into the box that found Sandy Baltimore who volleyed in to give the French side a two-goal advantage and end United’s first Women’s Champions League group-stage campaign.
Baltimore ran straight to Tabitha as the rest of the team crowded on her, who earned the accolade as first Malawian to score in the Champions League.
In the first leg, Tabitha received a long pass from the centre in the 53rd minute and she broke through her markers to find the ball and tap with her left foot — beating the advancing goalkeeper Earps in the goal area.
On its website after her feat last week, UEFA wrote: “Paris led early in the second half through Tabitha Chawinga, the first Malawian to score in UEFA competition, on a night when she was already becoming the only player from her nation to take part in the Women’s Champions League.”
On her Facebook page, 27-year-old Tabitha, who is on loan from Wuhan Jianghan, said: “First UEFA Champions League match, first goal though it wasn’t enough to get us a win. Hopefully we will win at home. Thanks for the support and prayers.”
She becomes the third Malawian to player in the UEFA Champions League after men’s striker Esau Kanyenda and former Nyasa Big Bullets player Charles Petro.
Kanyenda who played for FC Lokomotiv Moscow between 2005 and 2007, was the first Malawian to play in the UEFA Champions League but he never scored any goal while Charles Petro also featured when he played for Sheriff Tiraspol in 2020.
Tabitha, who is Malawi Scorchers captain, missed out of the team’s historic triumph of the 2023 COSAFA Women Championship in which her sister, who took the armband, was the hero when she scored a total of 9 goals.
In individual awards, Temwa bagged the Player of the Tournament and Golden Boot awards as well as two Player of the Match accolades. In all the matches played, the Scorchers earned Player of the Match titles with the other from Asimenye Simwaka, Madyina Ngulube and Sabina Thom — who scored the grand final winner deep in referee’s optional time.
The Scorchers won the 12-team tournament after winning all their five matches, culminating in a 2-1 triumph over Zambia in the final.
They set the ball rolling by beating hosts and record seven-time champions South Africa’s Banyana Banyana 3-4, before thumping e-Swatini 8-0.
They wrapped up their Group A assignments with a 3-1 win over Madagascar and went on to edge Mozambique 2-1 in the semi-finals.
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