The Southern African trio of Temwa Chawinga, Rachael Kundananji, and Barbra Banda have finished in the top 10 of the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) Women’s World Goalscorer Award in 1st, 5th, and 8th positions, respectively.
Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga has landed the IFFHS accolade for the most goals scored by a women’s player in 2023 after netting 63 goals for club and country.
The 25-year-old dominated the last 12 months, winning both the Chinese Super League and the COSAFA Cup’s Golden Boots last year.
The Mexican duo of Veronica Corral and Kiana Palacios ranked behind Chawinga with 39 and 38 goals, respectively.
Meanwhile, Chelsea Women’s FC striker Sam Kerr and Madrid CFF’s Rachael Kundananji rounded off the top 5. With the inclusion of Chawinga, Kundananji, and Barbra Banda, CAF stands out with the highest representation in the IFFHS top 10 list.
Kundananji and Banda scored 27 combined goals for Zambia in 2023
Kundananji and Banda have made a formidable partnership for Zambia’s women’s team, scoring a combined 27 goals for the Copper Queens in 2023. Eventually, Kundananji secured the 2023 GOAL 50 Player of the Year award, alongside Argentine playmaker Lionel Messi.
On the other hand, Banda’s impressive goalscoring numbers last year got her a place on the podium for the 2023 CAF Women’s Player of the Year award.
African women’s footballers took the world by storm in 2023, with CAF Women’s MVP Asisat Oshoala and Temwa’s sister, Tabitha Chawinga, also making the IFFHS top 50 list. Kenyan striker Marjolen Nekesa’s 26 goals for club and country in 2023 got her a spot on the list as well.
The men’s award for IFFHS Best Goalscorer unsurprisingly went to Al Nassr striker Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 54 goals for club and country in 2023.
The 38-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down, battling fresh blood like Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland in the race to finish as 2023’s top scorer.
Harry Kane and Mbappe both netted 52 goals for club and country in 2023, while Manchester City’s Erling Haaland notched 50 goals.
