Visa hitches delay Malawian star’s move to Georgian outfit

Thom: Photo Credit: Football Association of Malawi.

Malawi senior women’s national football team striker Sabinah Thom has not yet joined Georgia’s top-flight league side, WFC Lanchkhuti, due to visa delays, raising fears of her match fitness ahead of national team engagements.

The attacker confirmed to Pan-Africa Football that she was still in Malawi processing the visa over a month after she completed a switch from TP Mazembe women’s football team.

“Issuance of my visa has been delayed, hence I am still in Malawi. I hope to join my new team next week when the visa is out," she said.

Asked how she was keeping fit considering the forthcoming 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Angola, Thom said: “I train on my own in the gym. I also join boys’ teams in training to keep fit.”

The striker is among coach Lovemore Fazili's trusted regulars going into the final qualifying round of WAFCON, with Malawi set to meet Angola. The 29-year-old signed a two-year contract with Lanchkhuti weeks after exiting FC TP Mazembe Femení at the end of her contract.

The Scorchers player won trophies with Mazembe most notably lifting the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League in Morocco where they beat AS FAR 1-0. The Malawian moved to the Congolese side, MDF Lioness, in 2023. She had previously had stints in Sweden at Kvarnsvedens and Simba SC in Tanzania.

Thom is among the Scorchers’ reliable players based in Europe alongside Tabitha Chawinga of Lyon and Rose Kadzere for FC Montpellier.