Malawi forward Temwa Chawinga has been crowned the Golden Boot winner at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after an outstanding individual campaign.
Chawinga finished the tournament with five goals and two assists, helping Malawi reach the final in their first-ever appearance at the continental competition. Her performances were a major part of the Scorchers’ historic run to the championship match.
The Golden Boot race went down to the wire, with Chawinga, Zambia’s Barbra Banda and Cameroon’s Marie Ngah Manga all finishing on five goals.
Chawinga, however, claimed the award because of her superior number of assists, with two compared with Banda’s one, while Ngah Manga did not have an assist.
Chawinga’s achievement is another highlight of a remarkable tournament for Malawi. The Scorchers arrived in Morocco as debutants but quickly showed that they were capable of competing with the continent’s best teams.
The Malawians produced several impressive results on their way to the final, including a victory over Zambia in the knockout stages.
The Chawinga sisters, Temwa and Tabitha, were central to Malawi’s attacking threat, combining for nine goals during the tournament.
Temwa also scored in the semi-final against Algeria as Malawi secured a 3-1 victory to reach the final. Her fifth goal of the tournament came in that match, moving her level with Banda at the top of the scoring chart before the final.
Although Malawi eventually lost 3-0 to Cameroon in the final, Chawinga’s individual performance earned her one of the biggest honours of the tournament.
