AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
A two-time MVP in the National Women's Soccer League has a chance to win one of the sport's biggest honors. Temwa Chawinga plays for the Kansas City Current. She's also a finalist for the FIFA award given to the world's top individual scorer. As Greg Echlin reports, Chawinga has not only made an impact on the Current but also in her home country of Malawi in Africa.
GREG ECHLIN, BYLINE: Fans of Temwa Chawinga gathered in Kansas City to watch the African Cup final. Chawinga had led her team, Malawi, in its match against Cameroon in August.
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ECHLIN: Despite losing to Cameroon, Malawi still locked up its first ever berth to the 32-team Women's World Cup next year. Mang'anda Justice (ph), a Malawian native and mental health therapist in Kansas City, was there to watch. He says Chawinga has almost single handedly changed the culture of women's soccer in Malawi.
MANG'ANDA JUSTICE: In many ways, I think she has not just advocated but made a point that girls can do it.
ECHLIN: Growing up, Chawinga and her older sister Tabitha, who plays professionally in Europe, struggled within their own family for acceptance of their foot skills and speed.
TEMWA CHAWINGA: (Through interpreter) I initially, though, would play with just boys, and that was because the parents were discouraging them from playing soccer, saying soccer is not a girls' game. It's not for girls. It's for boys.
ECHLIN: Temwa and her sister grew up playing during the hottest part of the day on bare ground without grass because they took predawn hikes to get water for their farm.
CHAWINGA: (Through interpreter) It was very difficult growing up to go and fetch water in the morning, especially during the harvesting season, because it was not safe. At times, girls were at risk of being attacked and even (ph) sexual harassment by boys or men who were hiding out in the maize fields.
ECHLIN: With awareness of her own past struggles, Chawinga has been working with an organization called Freshwater Project International. She's lent her name for solar-powered water systems and hygiene resources to schools in Malawi. For her soccer accomplishments and work in her home country, she was well received two years ago, heard here in this recording by Malumbo Simwaka.
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ECHLIN: That followed an MVP season when Chawinga set several NWSL records, including most goals - 20.
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ECHLIN: She earned the league award as its most productive scorer and her first MVP honor, and repeated again as league MVP last year. This summer, Chawinga scored five goals and had two assists to win the Golden Boot in the African Cup tournament. She and her sister Tabitha combined for all three scores that lifted Malawi to an upset victory over Algeria and into the final. But when Malawi fell short of winning it all, Mang'anda Justice wasn't disappointed.
MANG'ANDA: Nothing's lost. This is the first time these ladies, these girls have done this, and it's a tremendous achievement to make it to the final.
ECHLIN: Since then, Chawinga was named a finalist for the prestigious FIFA Ballon d'Or, with the winner being named on October 26. The only American among the finalists is Rose Lavelle of Gotham F.C. in New York. For NPR News, I'm Greg Echlin in Kansas City.
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