Algeria national team all-time leading scorer Islam Slimani is off to represent the thirteenth club in his storied career after a brief spell with top Algerian side CR Belouizdad.
On Thursday, KVC Westerlo of Belgium's Jupiler Pro League announced the acquisition of Slimani on loan from Belouizdad for the remainder of the 2024-25 season. It will be the third spell in Belgium for the 36-year-old after previous time spent at KV Mechelen and RSC Anderlecht where he scored 11 goals in 23 appearances across both spells which lasted six months each.
Slimani's latest move comes after a return to club football in his native Algeria did not work out as planned. After donning the captain's armband and starting seven of CRB's first eight league matches under previous coach Corentin Martins and his replacement Abdelkader Amrani, the relationship between Slimani and Amrani reportedly deteriorated resulting in less playing time for the veteran hitman. Slimani scored 3 goals in 12 appearances across all competitions for CRB.
Despite being selected in Amrani's XI for CRB's last two matches against Orlando Pirates in the CAF Champions League and CR Zaouia in the Algerian Cup, Slimani is off to provide a boost to embattled Westerlo. The Belgian club currently sit 13th in the 16-team league with a battle to avoid relegation ongoing.
Slimani leaves a CRB team that was eliminated from the CAF Champions League group stage following Sunday's defeat to Pirates in Johannesburg, Slimani's final match before the loan was announced. Aymen Mahious and South African forward Khanyisa Mayo are among the options in a CRB attack that has plenty of options at the striker position in Slimani's absence.
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