Temwa Chawinga Doubtful for WAFCON Qualifiers After Suffering Knee Injury

Malawi’s star striker Temwa Chawinga is a major doubt for the upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifiers against Angola after sustaining a knee injury during her recent match for Kansas City Current in the United States National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

The club confirmed that Chawinga has been placed under medical evaluation to determine the severity of the injury and her potential recovery timeline. Early reports suggest that she could be sidelined for several weeks, though no official return date has been announced.

Chawinga went down with a worrying looking injury in her side’s 1-0 defeat against the Houston Dash on Saturday.

She was carried off by her teammates in the first half after going to the turf with a non-contact injury.

The timing of the injury couldn’t be worse for the Current, who ran away with the NWSL Shield and have just one match remaining before the postseason begins.

“We don’t have [an] exact update on her,” Current head coach Vlatko Andonovski said after the game.

“She’s in an MRI now as we speak. Once you get the results from MRI, we’ll know a little bit more. It’s not her knee, it’s just the upper leg.”

The injury comes as a significant setback for the Scorchers, who are set to face Angola in a crucial WAFCON qualifier. Chawinga’s absence would be a major blow for head coach Lovemore Fazili’s side, given her impressive form and leadership at both club and international level.

Temwa has been in outstanding shape this season, continuing to make headlines in the NWSL with her pace, creativity, and goal-scoring prowess — qualities that have made her a key figure in Malawi’s attack.

Chawinga is the NWSL’s reigning Golden Boot and MVP winner, and the 27-year-old is on track to repeat in both categories this season.

The Malawi international has 15 goals this season, two ahead of Gotham FC’s Esther González with just one match remaining.

Football Association of Malawi officials have yet to comment on whether she will be replaced in the squad should she fail to recover in time for the two-legged qualifier.

The Scorchers, who are aiming to secure a first qualification for the continental showpiece, will be hoping for positive news from the medical team as they prepare for what is expected to be a tightly contested encounter against Angola.