Tabitha Chawinga pips Asisat Oshoala to Chinese Women Super League award

Tabitha Chawinga pipped Asisat Oshoala in the race for the Chinese Women Super League top scorer of the 2018 season.

In 2017, Chawinga finished as Swedish Damallsvenskan topscorer, netting 25 goals before she was snapped up by Jiangsu Huatai from Kvarnsveden in January 2018.

Since her arrival in China, the Malawi international has been an instant hit for Jiangsu after she helped them to a Chinese Women Championship title and also emerged the topscorer with eight goals.

On Saturday, the 22-year-old netted a hat-trick in Jiangsu’s 9-0 victory at already-relegated Hebei Ticai, while the Nigeria star Oshoala netted her 10th in the league as Dalian earned a 1-0 win over Changchun Dazhong.

Last season, it was the former Arsenal forward who scooped the top scorer prize with 13 league goals in her debut outing in China and subsequently pipped the Malawian to the African Women’s Best Player of the Year award.

At the end of the 2018 season, Chawinga ended with 17 goals to scoop the league top scorer, with seven more than joint second-placed Oshoala, who helped Dalian retain their league crown.

Having claimed the top scorer award, the Jiangsu star will be hoping to give reigning African queen Oshoala a fight for the 2018 African best award.