Burundian striker Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana's contract might still be a subject of discussion at Kaizer Chiefs after just a season but there remains a ray of hope to his situation.
Bimenyimana closed off the season as the club's top goal scorer in the league with seven goals from 17 appearances but appeared to have lost the confidence of Arthur Zwane who was never keen on his signing from the beginning.
READ | 'He can definitely do a job for Chiefs'
Despite struggling his way to the end of the season, the towering striker was still effective in the national team scoring and providing an assist on Tuesday in a 3-2 AFCON qualifier against Namibia.
Matters related to whether Bimenyimana will continue at Chiefs or not have landed on the hands of his family in Canada while his previous employers FK Pohronie of Slovakia wait in line.
"The player did make me aware of the situation that he has been faced with at Chiefs, but I had to encourage him," says Burundi national team coach Etienne Ndayiragije who spent the past week and-a-half week with Bimenyimana.
"Reality is that if you want to play professional football at such a level you must be strong and ready to face any challenge.
"What is important is to keep working hard and respecting what the coaches are saying because that is the only solution that will see him through.
"For Caleb it is just a matter of time because I don't think anybody is against him.
"I know that he is capable and is young, so it is a matter of concentration and working hard.
"I told him that he is the only one who can solve this.
"Towards the end of the season, he wasn't playing because he had a groin injury so it was normal that he would struggle.
"I spoke to the medical staff at Kaizer Chiefs, and they gave me the results of his groin and he was doing some exercises to strengthen that area.
"He had a two-week program to follow and when he came to our camp, he was alright in all the 10 days that we spent together and scored a beautiful goal.
"For us, he was effective because he won so many duels in the air and was good.
"I had enough time to discuss everything with him and he is now with his family in Canada.
"I believe that he can do it and all he needs is the support.
"The kind of challenges that he is facing at Chiefs happen to many players at the top level, so he is not an isolated case.
"It is just a matter of being strong through the storm," says Ndayiragije
You must be Sign In to read and post comments.
Click HERE to register!