Is Deborah Henry heir to Tabitha Chawinga’s throne?

Malawi senior women’s team captain Tabitha Chawinga watched from television a gem Deborah Henry star for the Scorchers on her debut in South Africa on Saturday.

The Silver Strikers Ladies forward scored a hat-trick for Malawi as they cruised to the 8-1 victory over Lesotho at the COSAFA Women’s Championship in South Africa.

In a reaction, the France-based skipper wrote on Facebook: “To see a player that was discovered at TC11 Investment Women Football Bonanza, step onto the national stage, score a hat trick on her debut and walk away with Player of the Match—that’s not luck.

“That’s vision, belief, and development. Proud is an understatement. Talent was always there; she just needed the platform.”

Context matters to Tabitha’s compliments.

Chawinga sisters and Malawi scoring issues

The Scorchers are never the same scoring-wise minus the Olympique Lyonnes Women star and her America-based younger sister Temwa. Often, there has been debate on whether the brilliance of the Chawinga’s masks the weakness of the Lovemore Fazili-led team.

The likes of Vanessa Chikupira, Sabina Thom and of late, Rose Kadzere and Faith Chinzimu, have always stepped up to the plate, making up for the absence of the deadly duo to steer Malawi to glory.

Chinzimu’s goals in the home 2-0 victory over Angola last October helped the Scorchers secure their maiden Women Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) berth.

However, for all their brilliance in other aspects of the game, Thom, Kadzere and Chinzimu are not consistent enough with the goals in the absence of the sisters.

How Deborah Henry stepped up to the plate

Henry seemed to have provided the answer on Saturday with the hattrick on her first appearance for Malawi.

For the Silver Strikers Ladies rising star, it wasn’t about just the scoring. It was also about her execution and the variety of it. The first goal was from a tap in. The second goal was about timing her run to perfection. Her last strike was all about using her brain and brilliance.

These are the attributes that the Chawinga sisters bring into Malawi matches. Little wonder, Tabitha acknowledged the brilliance of Henry.

Henry has been in inspired form for Silver Strikers Ladies, winning the 2025 Golden Boot as she inspired her Lilongwe-based club to the National Bank of Malawi (NBM) Women’s Premiership title.

Is she perhaps the chosen one to Tabitha’s lofty throne?

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