BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi’s Tabitha Chawinga announced her return to action in emphatic fashion, netting twice as Lyonnais Women thrashed Sarvette 5-0 in their opening pre-season friendly on Sunday.
The match, played at the Groupama Training Centre, served as Lyonnais’ first test ahead of the 2025-26 campaign and the reigning French champions wasted no time in displaying their trademark attacking flair.
Chawinga, who joined Lyonnais permanently after a stellar loan spell last season opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a calm finish inside the box after a slick passing move.
She doubled her tally just before half-time, latching onto a through ball and slotting past the Sarvette goalkeeper to make it 3-0.
The other goals came from Ada Hegerberg, who powered home a header in the 28th minute, Delphine Cascarino with a thunderous strike midway through the second half, and young talent Vicki Becho, who rounded off the rout in the 85th minute.
For Chawinga, the brace is an encouraging sign as she prepares for a packed season that will include defending the Division 1 Féminine title, competing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and representing Malawi in international fixtures.
The victory sets a confident tone for Lyonnais, who will face tougher opposition in the coming weeks as they fine-tune their squad before the league kicks off in early September.