The Football Association of Malawi has released the list of nominees for the 2025/26 NBM Women’s Premiership individual player awards.
Five accolades will be contested, namely Player of the Season, Midfielder of the Season, Defender of the Season, Best Goalkeeper and Top Goal Scorer.
The Top Goal Scorer and Best Goalkeeper awards have already been decided. Deborah Henry of Silver Strikers Ladies clinched the Golden Boot after finishing the campaign as the league’s leading scorer, while her teammate Ireen Sibande has been named Goalkeeper of the Season after recording the most clean sheets during the season.
The Player of the Season award will be contested by Deborah Henry, alongside Ireen Khumalo of Silver Strikers Ladies and Leticia Chinyamula of Ascent Soccer Academy.
Chinyamula has also earned a nomination in the Midfielder of the Season category, where she will compete against Funny Moyo of Mighty Wanderers Queens and Sarah Mlimbika of Kukoma Ntopwa Women.
In the Defender of the Season category, Khumalo is again nominated and will contest the award alongside Maureen Kenneth of Ascent Soccer Academy and Emily Samuel of Civil Service Women.
The winners of the awards will be announced during the FAM Annual Football Awards, scheduled to take place on 6 March 2026 at COMESA Hall.
Player of the Season
Name: Deborah Henry
Position: Forward
Club: Silver Strikers Ladies
Number of games Played: 20
Number of games started: 20
Total Minutes played: 1
POTM: 6
Goals:23
Deborah Henry enjoyed an outstanding season, scoring 23 goals in 18 matches to play a pivotal role in guiding her team to the inaugural Premiership title. She was a model of consistency throughout the campaign, finding the back of the net against every team in the competition.
Name: Leticia Chinyamula
Position: Midfielder
Club: Ascent Academy
Number of games Played: 17
Number of games started: 17
Total Minutes played: 1524
POTM: 3
Assists: 3
Goals: 17
Leticia Chinyamula was instrumental for Ascent, guiding the team to a second-place finish. She ended the season as the second-highest goal scorer with 17 goals and earned three Player of the Match awards, underlining her influence and consistency throughout the campaign.
Name: Ireen Khumalo
Position: Defender
Club: Silver Strikers Ladies
Number of games Played: 17
Number of games started: 17
Total Minutes played: 1440
POTM: 2
Assists: 3
Clean sheets: 9
Goals: 5
Ireen Khumalo was the pillar of the champions’ defensive line, featuring in 17 of 18 matches and recording nine clean sheets. Beyond her defensive solidity, she was also influential going forward, contributing to eight goals during the season.
Midfielder of the Season
Name: Leticia Chinyamula
Position: Midfielder
Club: Ascent Academy
Number of games Played: 17
Number of games started: 17
Total Minutes played: 1524
POTM: 3
Assists: 3
Goals: 17
Leticia Chinyamula was instrumental for Ascent, guiding the team to a second-place finish. She ended the season as the second-highest goal scorer with 17 goals and earned three Player of the Match awards, underlining her influence and consistency throughout the campaign.
Name: Sarah Mlimbika
Position: Midfielder
Club: Kukoma Ntopwa Women’s
Number of games Played: 16
Number of games started: 16
Total Number of Minutes played: 1371
POTM: 5
Assists: 3
Goals: 3
Sarah Mlimbika was a marvel to watch in the Premiership with Kukoma Ntopwa Women. She won the second-highest number of Player of the Match awards, only behind Deborah Henry. In 16 appearances, she scored three goals and provided three assists, showcasing her all-round impact on the competition.
Name: Funny Moyo
Position: Midfielder
Club: Mighty Wanderers Queens
Number of games Played: 17
Number of games started: 16
Total Number of Minutes played: 1454
POTM: 4
Goals: 2
Moyo was one of the standout midfielders in the Premiership, playing a key role in the Mighty Wanderers midfield. She made 17 appearances, starting 16 matches, won four Player of the Match awards, and scored two goals.
Defender of the season
Name: Ireen Khumalo
Position: Defender
Club: Silver Strikers Ladies
Number of games Played: 17
Number of games started: 17
Total Minutes played: 1440
POTM: 2
Assists: 3
Clean sheets: 9
Goals: 5
Ireen Khumalo was the pillar of the champions’ defensive line, featuring in 17 of 18 matches and recording nine clean sheets. Beyond her defensive solidity, she was also influential going forward, contributing to eight goals during the season.
Name: Maureen Kenneth
Position: Defender
Club: Ascent Academy
Number of games Played: 18
Number of games started: 18
Total Minutes played: 1620
POTM: 3
Assists: 4
Clean sheets: 10
Goals: 2
Maureen Kenneth was one of the most ever-present players in the Premiership, featuring in all 18 matches. She won three Player of the Match awards, provided four assists, scored two goals, and was part of a defence that recorded 10 clean sheets during the season.
Name: Emily Samuel
Position: Defender
Club: Civil Service Women
Number of games Played: 18
Number of games started: 18
Total Minutes played: 1620
POTM: 1
Clean sheets: 9
Emily Samuel was a pillar for Civil Service United, providing balance and composure at the back throughout the season. The team conceded just 11 goals in the entire campaign, with Samuel playing every minute of the competition and helping to secure nine clean sheets.
