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Bay FC score Africa's premier striker; Chawinga on Hederberg's heels

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Nigeria's Asisat Oshoala looks forward to new challenges at Bay FC (2:06)

Bay FC's new signing Asisat Oshoala discusses what challenges she expects after joining the NWSL expansion team from Barcelona. (2:06)

As the title race heats up in the French Division 1 Féminine, Malawi star Tabitha Chawinga is doing her best to keep PSG in the hunt, while also keeping the pressure on Ada Hegerberg in the race for the Golden Boot.

Apart from Chawinga, other African players who started off strong in January included South Africa's Mexico-based duo, Thembi Kgatlana and Jermaine Seoposenwe, while Nigeria's Asisat Oshoala hit the back of the net twice even in a turbulent month for her.

With the WAFCON and Olympics taking place this year, 2024 will arguably be an even busier one than last year's historic World Cup year and African women's football will look to pick up where it left off in Australia and New Zealand.

Tabitha Chawinga, Paris Saint-Germain

Chawinga got the year off to a fine start with four goals in January for PSG - three in the Division 1 Féminine and one in the UEFA Women's Champions League (UWCL).

The Malawi star hit the back of the net once in the 6-0 win over Lille and twice in the 8-1 drubbing of Bordeaux to take her league tally to nine for the season - only one behind Lyon's Hegerberg.

Against Bayern Munich in the UWCL, Chawinga reversed Bayern's 1-0 lead in the 73rd minute with an expertly executed goal on the counter-attack.

A Bayern corner came to nothing and then Chawinga perfectly anticipated the bounce of PSG goalkeeper Constance Picaud's punt upfield, beating Tuva Hansen to the ball, slicing through the heart of the defence and slotting home. The match finished in a 2-2 draw as PSG secured top spot in Group C.

Thembi Kgatlana, Tigres UANL

Kgatlana has got off to a flying start at her new club, UANL, in Mexico. After a brace in the 5-1 drubbing of Pumas, Kgatlana hit the back of the net again in a 7-2 thrashing of León.

After five appearances in the Liga MX Femenil, she has participated in five victories and scored three times - a perfect start for a player whose lightning speed and intelligent runs aaa she causes problems for defence even beyond the goals that show up in her stats.

Asisat Oshoala, Bay FC

Oshoala scored in her only start of the month for Barcelona in a 6-0 Copa de la Reina drubbing of Fundación Albacete.

The reigning CAF Women's Player of the Year also netted off the bench in a 9-1 thrashing of Levante Las Planas.

On 1 February, it was announced that the Nigeria star was joining Bay FC in the NWSL.

Although she struggled for playing time towards the very end of her stint in Spain, she made a mark whenever on the field until the very end.

She leaves the club in a solid state. Barcelona have a perfect 14 wins from 14 games in the league and topped Group A in the UEFA Women's Champions League comfortably with 16 points.

Jermaine Seoposenwe, Monterrey

Hot on the heels of Tigres UANL in the Liga MX Femenil Clausura race are Seoposenwe's Monterrey and she has played a significant role in keeping them in the hunt.

Kgatlana's Banyana Banyana teammate scored a vital late equaliser in the 2-2 draw with Pachuca and then contributed goals to victories over Necaxa (7-0) and Querétaro (3-0).

Jennifer Echegini, Juventus

New arrival Echegini has proved an astute acquisition for Juventus, with the 22-year-old Nigeria midfielder scoring crucial goals in a 1-0 win over Sassuolo and a 2-2 draw with Fiorentina - both off the bench.

Echegini, who grew up in London and rose to prominence at Florida State University, scored her first goal for Nigeria in a 3-0 win over New Zealand last year. That gave Juventus fans a taste of what was to come, as she has now found the net twice in only 34 minutes wearing their colours.

Her goals have directly earned Juve four points, keeping them above Fiorentina in second place in the league.

Toni Payne, Sevilla

January was a hugely positive month for Sevilla and their Super Falcons playmaker, Payne.

She not only picked up an assist for Cristina Martín-Prieto's opener in the 4-0 Copa de la Reina last 16 win over Levante Las Planas, but also scored in the 3-1 league victory over Villarreal as Sevilla picked up four straight wins in all competitions to start off the year.

Christy Ucheibe, Benfica

The versatile Ucheibe put in a superb shift for Benfica at left-back in their 4-4 UEFA Women's Champions League draw with giants Barcelona at left-back.

The Super Falcons international, who also featured in a back three in the 2-2 draw to Rosengård earlier in the month, helped Benfica qualify for the quarter-finals as they finished second to Barça in Group A.

Linda Motlhalo, Racing Louisville

Motlhalo bowed out on a high at Glasgow City, playing from the beginning in a vital 1-0 derby win over Celtic.

It was a fitting end to a wonderful time in Glasgow, which saw Motlhalo regularly deliver with key performances. Most crucially, she starred in last year's league title run-in.

The Louisville-bound South Africa midfielder got to play a role in one last key derby win this year as Glasgow City closed the gap between second-placed Celtic and them to two points.

Rosemonde Kouassi, Fleury 91

Ivory Coast international Kouassi scored an impressive 10 league goals for Fleury 91 last season in the French Division 1 Fémenine, but hit a drought towards the end of last year, which she brought to an end this month.

The 22-year-old scored a brace in the 5-0 win over Dijon on January 10. Fleury sit sixth in the league.

Rosella Ayane, Tottenham Hotspur

Ayane scored the winner for Spurs in their 3-2 FA Women's Cup fourth round victory over Sheffield United, slotting home in the sixth minute of stoppage time to seal Tottenham's February fifth round tie with Charlton.

Having effortlessly controlled a long diagonal ball from Olga Ahtinen with her chest, Morocco international Ayane dinked home with her left foot to book her side's passage into the next phase.