By Angu Lesley Ngwa Akonwi
Football Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon
Former Newcastle United and Coventry City midfielder Gael Bigirimana has opened up on a painful chapter in his life after losing his entire savings to a financial scam that left him and his family devastated.
The Burundi international, who now plays for Northern Irish club Dungannon Swifts, shared how what seemed like a promising investment turned out to be a Ponzi scheme that “drained” everything he had worked for.
Bigirimana joined Newcastle United from Coventry in 2012 after being named EFL Apprentice of the Year, and went on to make 26 first-team appearances for the Magpies — scoring a memorable long-range goal against Wigan Athletic in the Premier League.
However, his career took several unexpected turns after leaving St James’ Park, including an ill-fated trial opportunity in Croatia that fell through at the last moment.
“I was waiting to board a flight at Birmingham Airport and rang the coach to ask if somebody would be waiting at the other end,” Bigirimana recalled.
“He told me not to come because they had a game the previous day and a striker got injured. They wanted to see if it was long-term or short-term. If it was long-term, they would prioritise a striker.”
That disappointment was followed by an even greater personal setback during the COVID-19 pandemic. Acting on advice from an agent, Bigirimana invested heavily in what was described as a high-yield scheme — only to later discover it was fraudulent.
> “There was no continuity. After a few months there was no payment,” he explained. “Then it was all like, ‘we’re going to pay you next month, there’s a misunderstanding’. Then the communication dried up. We learned from the mistake. Our faith gave us perspective.”
Now aged 32, Bigirimana has rebuilt his career in Northern Ireland, where he has become a key figure for Dungannon Swifts, making over 80 appearances since joining two years ago.
Despite the setbacks, the Burundian midfielder says his faith and family have helped him regain stability and focus both on and off the pitch.
“It was tough, but I’ve come through stronger,” he added. “Everything that happened taught me to be wiser — not just as a footballer, but as a person.”
Copyright©2025 kick442.com-Cameroon
All rights reserved. This material and any other digital content on this platform may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, written, or distributed in full or in part, without written permission from our management.
This site is not responsible for the content displayed by external sites
English 
French