The African Cup of Nations coverage at Just Football continues with a look at one of the tournament’s stand out players, via Generation Next, our feature in which we keep tabs on the best up-and-coming young players in the world. As part of this, David Cartlidge takes a closer look at Congo’s Thievy Bifouma.



Name: Thievy Bifouma

Date of Birth: 13th May 1992

Age: 22

Position: Winger/Forward

Club: Espanyol (Almeria on loan)

Nationality: Congolese

Thievy Bifouma – yet to find a club to call home

I t would be quite typical of Thievy Bifouma to have found his moment, his maturing as a player, on the biggest of stages. The player, whose career so far can be defined in one word – unpredictable – has taken it upon himself to lead his nation at the Africa Cup Of Nations.

Or maybe it’s not surprising after all, given he’s yet to find a true home with a club team. A world away, with his nation, he can focus on the matters at hand. Born in France and capped at Under-20 and Under-21 level for that country, Bifouma only received FIFA clearance to play for Congo on August 1, 2014.

Immediately, sensing the talent he has, and inspiration his squad needed, Claude LeRoy called him into the squad.

His two goals in the group stages follow on from the goals he scored in the AFCON qualifiers and, Bifouma, despite being only 22, has become something of a leader for his team.

Suggest he had those qualities to anyone at Espanyol, the club he remains contracted to, however, and they would baulk. Indiscipline has been an issue – even quarrels with fans. Even his girlfriend caused controversy over comments about Catalans via social media.

SEE ALSO: AFCON 2015 Best XI players of the group stages

Loan ranger



Loans have been frequent for Bifouma; he even went to West Bromwich Albion for a spell. UD Las Palmas was the first time Thievy seemed to fit in anywhere, as he helped propel their eventually unsuccessful promotion push. He was a cornerstone of their attack and his assets, mainly physical, became vital.

Their coach at the time, Sergio Lobera, had gone nine games without a win. His possession football had failed badly, and decided it was time to base the game upon counter attacking. Thievy, along with Vitolo – now of Sevilla – changed the course of the Canary Island-based team. He befriended the UD Las Palmas president and was known for his exemplary attitude. His input on the field was 11 goals in 44 games.

Espanyol still didn’t fancy Bifouma upon his return, however, despite the clear strides he’d made as a player. Mentally, they viewed him too short of what they need. Bifouma was a ticking time bomb to them: previous coaches Mauricio Pochettino and Javier Aguirre never said as much, but their actions suggested so. Then, he fell foul of new coach Sergio Dominguez, by failing to report for pre-season training after being with Congo.

Bifouma was then moved on to Almeria, where he finds himself now. Consistency has been hard to come by, and you wonder if UD Las Palmas get promotion this season, whether a permanent move there might be what he requires. It is telling that he still ventures to the island from Barcelona to watch their games during international breaks.

Congo star



So far Bifouma has been one of the standout names at AFCON 2015. Bifouma has shown everything he’s capable of: he’s been sharp, powerful, and hard working – a key factor, maybe THE factor behind Congo’s surprise surge in the competition. Fans of Espanyol, and those teams he spent loans with – aside from UDLP – must be wondering if this is the same player that showed such a relaxed attitude.

Bifouma has brought all his assets to the fore, and some maybe we haven’t seen much of before. The pace, the skill, the drive to arrive in the penalty area is all there. But so is the hard work, the determination.

I f Bifouma could find this on a more consistent basis once he returns back to Spain, there is no reason he cannot be another African success story in Europe. First, though, he’ll have to report back to training on time.

SEE ALSO: Congo – AFCON 2015: Everything you need to know about the Red Devils

Have you been impressed with Thievy Bifouma during AFCON 2015? Will the tournament be the making of him? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter @JustFootball.