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By Sibongiseni Gumbi

Football Writer


Bimenyimana hopeful of returning Chiefs to its glory days

“I am here to take this club back where it belongs,” says the Amakhosi striker.


Caleb Bimenyimana is a hot football topic in local football at the moment after the Kaizer Chiefs striker’s heroics at the weekend. 

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The 24-year-old Burundian made history when he became the first player in the Premier Soccer League to score a hat-trick from penalties.

Bimenyimana converted all three penalties awarded to Chiefs in their come from behind 3-1 win over Stellenbosch on Sunday afternoon. 

He however says he was not even aware that he was making history and was merely going about his job which is tos score goals for Amakhosi.

“I didn’t know about that (history), I just came here to score goals,” Bimenyimana told SuperSport TV after the game. 

“I am happy for myself, and I am happy for the team. We have been pushing and working hard for this moment.” 

Bimenyimana says he understands the frustrating time that the club has gone through with the lengthy trophy drought. 

“My mind(set) is to score in every game. Whether I score two or one, I will go for it and we will see at the end how many we have scored. 

“I am here to take this club back where it belongs,” confesses the lanky attacker. “I don’t want to take, but as a team, we will take the club back where it belongs. 

“We know it has been so long since the last trophy. So this year we are looking for something and we know what we agreed upon in the dressing room – the staff, the players… 

“We know what we need to do in every game to get there. That is what I can say on that. And we are happy and we are going to keep it that way,” adds Bimenyimana. 

He was also asked if he felt they deserved the penalties awarded for them. The first one was a topic of debate with some feeling it was soft and should not have been given.

But the Chiefs man obviously believes they were deserved and should have actually been given more than the three.

“I think we deserved the penalties and maybe more because in the first half there were some incidents where we could have got more. 

“To get into that moment and complete the goals was something special. I have confidence in myself that I can score every penalty and it happened,” says Bimenyimana. 

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