Malawi National Women’s Football icon Tabitha Chawinga has clinched a dream deal to Europe after sealing a three-year deal with French Women’s League champions Olympique Lyonnais Feminin.
Posting a message on her Facebook Page complete with pictures she said: “Deal done till 2027.”
Tabitha could be reached for a comment to shed more light, but her manager Tiana Msolomba said it is a lucrative deal which has seen her securing a permanent move from her former club Wuhan Jiangda.
She also declined to state the amount of money Lyon paid to effect the transfer.
Said Msolomba: “I can say how much Lyon paid to Wuhan, but it was a deal that was negotiable considering that she only had six months left on her contact with the club. More details will be released later by Lyon.”
The manager also said Tabitha was attracted by the expectation of playing in the Uefa Women’s Champions League and her quest to win the Ballon d’or.
“She also wants to play with top players and feels that can offer her a better chance to win the Champions League as well as win the Ba do. Lyon have offered her a good contract. She is one of the highest paid players at the club,” said Msolomba.
Meanwhile, Tabitha, who is on off-season, will return home and will join the team’s training on August 1.
Football Association of Malawi competitions and communications director Gomezgani Zakazaka said in an interview yesterday this was a good move because Lyon are a big team in Europe.
“It’s a big move for her considering the history of Lyon being the most successful team in the UEFA Champions League. It’s good for her career that she has made a permanent move to Europe as her two previous stints were on loan. She will now be more focused on her career and exploits and we hope her permanent move will inspire most female players back home to also move abroad so that we can increase our foreign country based players portfolio.” he said.
In a separate interview , National Women’s Football Association chairperson Adellaide Migogo also said it will inspire more Malawian players.
Last season at PSG, she won Players of the Season and Golden Boot awards, making into the Uefa Women’s Best XI.
In 2022, she also won the Golden Boot while on loan at Inter Milan. The former DD Sunshine
player has also played in Sweden.
