Players
26 May 2026
Arriving in France last season, the player on loan from the Chinese club to Paris Saint-Germain has shone on both the national and European stages. With an impressive total of 19 goals in 21 Division 1 matches, Tabitha Chawinga has climbed to the top of the French league’s scoring charts.
Vincent Ponsot commented on the potential of our new player: “We have a high-quality team. Our goal is to add an extra touch of excellence each time. This season, we are achieving this, particularly with the arrival of Tabitha Chawinga.“
An impressive career
With the capital club, the striker also distinguished herself in the Women’s Champions League. She played 12 matches and scored 6 goals, including one in the second leg of the semi-final against Lyon. In her first appearance in the competition, the Malawian international has been named to the 2023/2024 Team of the Season. Known for her speed and technical skills, Tabitha Chawinga is the first Malawian player to play in Europe. Last May, she added the 2024 Coupe de France to her list of achievements (5 matches – 4 goals).
The striker declared: “I am proud to be the first Malawian to play in Europe, and especially in Lyon. I hope to inspire other people from Malawi to follow in my footsteps and come play here in Europe. I am here not only for myself, but also to represent my country. I want to show the new generations that it is possible to believe in their dreams and achieve them.”
Best player in various leagues
Tabitha Chawinga has frequently been named top scorer and best player in the various leagues she has played in. The striker burst onto the scene in 2014 during her first season with the Swedish club Krokom Dvärsätts IF. She scored 39 goals in 18 matches, thus becoming the league’s top scorer. She retained her title the following year with a total of 43 goals.
In China, she was voted the league’s best player two years in a row (2018 and 2019) with Jiangsu LFC. She even achieved a historic quadruple, winning the Chinese Super League, the Chinese Cup, the Chinese Super Cup, and the Chinese Super League. Then, three years later, after joining Wuhan Jianghan University, Tabitha once again lifted the Chinese Super League trophy. Also, she finished as the league’s top scorer with nine goals. On loan to Inter Milan for the 2022-2023 season, she again won the Serie A top scorer title with 23 goals.
Road to the 2024/2025 season
Sought after by numerous clubs in France and abroad, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin is delighted to have convinced Tabitha Chawinga with its ambitious project for the coming years. The club is convinced that these players are considerable assets in achieving the objectives set for the 2024/2025 season.
Tabitha Chawinga: “I am very happy to join Olympique Lyonnais Féminin. It’s a historic club that has already won many Women’s Champions League and French Championship titles. It was a goal of mine to sign with a big club. I’m happy to be able to continue my career at OL. I can’t wait for the season to start so I can meet the coach and my new teammates. I hope we will continue to win titles together. I am also proud to be the first Malawian to play in Europe and in Lyon.”
Vincent Ponsot : “We are very happy to welcome Tabitha to Lyon. Her arrival reflects the team’s ambitions. It’s a continuation of the attractive project implemented by Michele Kang. We have a very high-quality squad that we simply want to strengthen with talented players like Tabitha to maintain our place among the European elite.”
Photo: Damien LG
