Cape Town - Kaizer Chiefs' ace goal poacher Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana has drawn comparisons with the prolific Manchester City goalmouth predator Erling Haaland, who has taken the football world by storm.
After Chiefs' triumph over the weekend, an Amakhosi fan proclaimed on social media: “Told you all we don't need Kermit Erasmus. We have our own Haaland, Caleb Bimenyimana. The man is on form!”
Ahead of last month's transfer deadline, several Chiefs fans were calling on the club to sign Erasmus, who had become surplus to requirements at Mamelodi Sundowns.
The lanky Burundian Bimenyimana didn't score a goal in open play, but he netted three penalties, and it paved the way for Chiefs' 3-1 win over a youthful Stellenbosch FC at the Cape Town Stadium on Sunday.
Since his arrival at Chiefs, Bimenyimana has scored six goals, and four were netted from the penalty spot. He seems comfortable taking penalties, and that ability will be an important part of the team's arsenal.
“I’m here to score goals, so I’m happy for myself and I’m happy for the team,” said Bimenyimana.
“We have been pushing and working hard for this moment.
“In my mind, I want to score in every game. Let's say in every game if I can score two or one, I’ll go for it. We will see at the end how many I score.
“I am here to help the team go back where it belongs.
“I think we deserved the penalties. To experience that moment and score the goals was something special.
“I have confidence in myself that with every penalty I can score, and it happened that way.
“Like a team, we will go back to where we belong. We know it has been too long without a trophy, so this year we are looking for something special. We know what we have in the dressing-room, the staff and the players.
"We know what we need to do to get there, and so we are going to keep it that way.”
Bimenyimana will next be in action when Chiefs host Chippa United on Saturday at Moses Mabhida Stadium. Chiefs initially planned to play the game at the Free State Stadium, but opted for their “second home” in Durban instead.
IOL Sport