{{Short description|Malawian footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Vanessa Chikupira | fullname = Vanessa Mbinho Chikupila<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://docplayer.net/144142708-Football-association-of-malawi-fam-activity-report.html|title=Activity Report 2015/2016|publisher=Football Association of Malawi|website=DocPlayer|page=28|accessdate=16 October 2021}}</ref> | birth_name = <!-- if different from fullname --> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|4|2|df=yes}} | birth_place = | height = | position = Forward<ref name=GSA>{{GSA player|id=limbikani-chikupira/468256|accessdate=16 October 2021}}</ref> | currentclub = Biik-Kazygurt club | clubnumber = | years1 = | clubs1 = Blantyre Zero | caps1 = | goals1 = | nationalyears1 = 2020– | nationalteam1 = Malawi | nationalcaps1 = 4 | nationalgoals1 = 1 | ntupdate = 9 October 2021.<ref name=GSA/> }} '''Vanessa Mbinho Chikupila''' (sometimes spelled '''Chikupira'''; born 2 April 1996) is a Malawian footballer who has played as a forward for the Green Buffaloes team in Zambia and the Biik-Kazygurt club in Kazakhstan. She was a member of the Malawi women's national team in 2025.
==Club career== Chikupira has played for Blantyre Zero in Malawi.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://times.mw/golden-boot-race-heats-up-in-womens-league/|title=Golden Boot race heats up in women’s league|website=The Times|first=Mabvuto|last=Kambuwe|date=14 July 2021|accessdate=26 February 2025}}</ref>
On 2023 she was the leading goalscorer for FCB Nyasa Big Bullets.<ref name=shine>{{Cite web |last=Loka |first=Kimpho |date=2023-09-26 |title=Chikupira shines for Scorchers in international friendly - FCB Nyasa Big Bullets FC |url=https://nyasabigbullets.com/top-stories/chikupira-shines-for-scorchers-in-international-friendly/ |access-date=2025-02-26 |language=en-US}}</ref> At the end of the year she signed for the Green Buffaloes team in Zambia.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-12-21 |title=Malawi women’s footballer joins Zambian club - Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi |url=https://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi-womens-footballer-joins-zambian-club/ |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=www.nyasatimes.com |language=en-GB}}</ref>
After a year in Zambia she moved to the Biik-Kazygurt club in Kazakhstan women's top football league. She was accompanied by Bernadette Mkandawire who also joined the same club.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Manda |first=Solomon |date=2024-12-31 |title=Scorchers duo clinches deals |url=https://mwnation.com/scorchers-duo-clinches-deals/ |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=Nation Online |language=en-US}}</ref>
==International career== Chikupira capped for Malawi at senior level during two COSAFA Women's Championship editions (2020 and 2021).<ref name=GSA/> She was chosen again for the 2022 Championships. She was one of five Nyasa Bullets players chosen the others were rookie Bernadette Mkandawire, Emily Jossam, Mary Chavinda and goalkeeper Martha Banda.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Loka |first=Kimpho |date=2022-08-29 |title=Five Bullets players in Scorchers final squad for Cosafa Women’s Championship - FCB Nyasa Big Bullets FC |url=https://nyasabigbullets.com/top-stories/five-bullets-players-in-scorchers-final-squad-for-cosafa-womens-championship/ |access-date=2025-03-03 |language=en-US}}</ref>
She was one of the players who obtained a hat trick on a 17-0 friendly against the team from the Seychelles in September 2023.<ref name=shine/>
In February 2025 she flew back to Africa to join other players picked to play Zambia. She was one of seven players based abroad who were included in Lovemore Fazili's Zambia squad. Chimwemwe Madise and Sabina Thom are contracted to play in the Democratic Republic of Congo; Tabitha Chawinga and Rose Kabzere are in France. Bernadette Mkandawire was with Chikupira in Zambia and Temwa Chawinga joined them from America.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chirwa |first=Garry |date=2025-02-17 |title=Temwa in, Fazili names final squad |url=https://mwnation.com/temwa-in-fazili-names-final-squad/ |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=Nation Online |language=en-US}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Facebook|100033016313609}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chikupila, Vanessa}} Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Blantyre Category:Malawian women's footballers Category:21st-century Malawian sportswomen Category:Women's association football forwards Category:Malawi women's international footballers
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