Swedes court another DD star
Women football international striker Tabitha Chawinga’s thrills in Sweden have swayed that country’s third-tier side Krokom / Dvärsätts IF into courting another DD Sunshine player, Chimwemwe Madise.
Chawinga, 18, has turned into an instant top scoring focal point for Dvarsatts reportedly scoring seven goals in Saturday’s 12-1 win over Ljusdals to drag her Golden Boot Award chase tally to 36 goals in 17 games. Chawinga signed for Dvarsatts also from DD Sunshine of Lilongwe in May.
In view of this, reports indicate that a Swedish top tier [Damallsvenskan] team has since invited her for trials next month. Dvarsatts IF have one game to go this season and lie fourth.
But Anders Funseth, Dvarsatts IF’s head of women football, was elusive when asked yesterday on Chawinga’s possible trials and the club’s interest in Madise.
“We cannot confirm anything regarding Tabitha. It is true that we are interested in a defender from DD Sunshine, but nothing is clear. I can get back to you when we have some news to share,” said Funseth.
It is believed that Dvarsatts IF are eyeing Madise as replacement for the foreigners’ quota Chawinga will create once she signs for the undisclosed big Swedish club.
DD Sunshine director David Dube, while earlier hinting at the Swedish teams’ interests, was yesterday still not ready with the updates. Dvarsatts IF is based 20 kilometres to the north of Ostersund City in Sweden.
On Tuesday, DD Sunshine coach Andrew Chikhosi confirmed that Chawinga’s team was interested in Madise who he hailed as a top-notch defender. The defender emerged as Donnas Eggs’ Cup player of the tournament in June 2014.
“Even when we are playing against male opposition, strikers struggle to get past her. She is a very strong defender. As a coach, I am happy with these developments. I am able to use my knowledge gained from my playing career and impart it to the players,” explained Chikhosi, the former Big Bullets star.
