Bimenyimana Set For USMA Exit
Former Kaizer Chiefs striker Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana will be available as a free agent on the market as he is set to amicably part ways with Algerian giants USM Alger, just five months after joining the club.
The Burundi international inked a one-year deal with an option to extend with the 2022/23 CAF Confederation Cup winners in February. This came after he was released by Iran’s Persian Gulf Pro League side Zob Ahan after just two months.
Bimenyimana is no stranger to short stints as he left Al Ahly Benghazi without kicking the ball, having joined the Libyan outfit following his exit from Chiefs. His stay in Libya was hampered by a season-ending injury while on international duty.
Now, Sportswire understands that the USMA hierarchy is in active negotiations to terminate the player’s contract, along with former TP Mazembe central midfielder Glody Likonza and Nigerian winger Musa Alli.
Despite recently lifting their ninth Algerian Cup at the expense of Sead Ramovic’s CR Belouizdad, the eight-time Algerian Ligue 1 champions are determined to stage a respectable campaign next season after registering a dismal seventh-place finish in the 2024/25 term.
As a result of the rebuild, foreign players like Bimenyimana, who failed to impress on the pitch, are expected to depart the team to make way for a new crop of foreign recruits as the Algerian Football Federation has decided to reduce the foreign quota to four, starting from next season.
The striker netted three goals in 17 matches for the Algiers-based outfit, including scoring on his debut for the club. It remains to be seen where Bimenyimana will be playing his football in the upcoming 2025/26 campaign.
In his professional career, the nomadic center-forward has played for a staggering 11 clubs to date.
The 27-year-old towering frontman has so far scored 24 goals and provided two assists in 93 games in his club career and chipped in with five goals in 22 national team appearances.
