Malawi and Inter Milan women’s forward Tabitha Chawinga says she is not bothered by the lack of attention she has gotten unlike Victor Osimhen after winning the Italian Serie A Femminile Golden Boot.
The 27-year-old is the highest goalscorer in the Italian women’s top-flight with 23 goals for the Nerazzurre. On the men’s side, Osimhen has scored 25 goals.
Chawinga and Osimhen have now set a record as the first Africans to finish as Serie A top scorers for both men and women, and Tabitha says the achievement is not for her but for the African continent.
“It does not bother me because women’s football is on a journey and it will be a while before it can be talked about on the same level as the men’s game,” Chawinga told BBC Sport Africa.
“Victor put Africa on the map, he put Nigeria on the map. He’s an ambassador of Africa like me.
“Everybody is talking about him, everyone is talking about Africa. I am really proud of him. He is a great man, he has done a great job.
“This golden boot is not only for Tabitha, it’s for the whole of Africa. I think for Victor as well it is for Africa.
“I am from Africa, I love Africa, I was born in Africa and grew up there. I’m very proud with what I’m doing here to represent Africa.”
Chawinga also called on African football administrators to do more in harnessing the potentials of the sport, believing it can be the best in the world in the near future.
“I am very proud to be providing that proof of what Africa can do,” she continued.
“In the past, Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o did a great job. Many clubs in Europe like looking in Africa for the best players. It means we have good talent but not good sponsors.
“People ask: ‘Malawi, where is that? Are there more players there? In Africa, do you know some other players that are the best?’
“It’s time for people responsible for the administration of football to wake up and do better. Football in Africa may go on to be the best football in the whole world.
“Players from Europe are never thinking about going anywhere and people only go to Europe because here they have everything for football.
“We need that in Africa as soon as possible and everything will be okay. This will be very important.”
Inter Milan Women qualified for the league playoffs but finished in fifth place, 28 points behind eventual champions Roma.
