Atlanta United 2 today announced it has signed forward Bienvenue Kanakimana (bee-EN-ven-EE, KAH-na-key-MA-nah) on loan for the 2019 season with an option to buy from Czech Republic’s MFK Vyskov, pending league and federation approval.
Kanakimana, a 19-year-old from Burundi, comes to ATL UTD 2 after spending the 2018 season with Aigle Noir of the Burundi Premier League. He finished as the league’s top scorer with 23 goals across all competitions while leading the club to the Burundi Premier League title.
Kanakimana has featured with Burundi’s U-17, U-20, and U-23 Youth National Teams. He has scored five goals across all matches for the U-20 and U-23 teams.
Kanakimana helped guide the U-20s through qualifying for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations as Burundi won three consecutive matches with Kanakimana scoring in a 3-0 win against Zambia. He went on to score in a 3-3 draw against Niger during the 2019 U-20 AFCON in February. Last month, Kanakimana scored against Congo in 2019 U-23 AFCON Qualification.
ATL UTD 2 continues its season tomorrow, April 13 against North Carolina FC at Fifth Third Bank Stadium at 7:30 p.m. EST. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.
PLAYER PROFILE
Name: Bienvenue Kanakimana
Pronunciation: bee-EN-ven-EE, KAH-na-key-MA-nah
Position: Forward
Height: 5-9
Birthdate: Dec. 28, 1999 (19)
Birthplace: Bujumbura, Burundi
Nationality: Burundi
Previous Club: MFK Vyskov
Acquired: Signed on loan April 12, 2019