The Curious Case Of Beni Badibanga

It’s becoming an unwanted annual tradition at Forge FC: another year, another star player absent from preseason amidst a dispute surrounding the activation of their club option and rejection of a transfer offer.

Reminiscent of last year’s dispute with Triston Henry, who had his club option activated before the club turned down an expected move stateside, Beni Badibanga is now at odds with perennial CPL title contender Forge FC.

The Hamilton, Ontario-based club activated its club option on the creative attacker last month, but Badibanga has not travelled with the club to train in Cancun – nor is he expected to join, either.

Instead, the Belgium-based winger went online to wish his teammates good luck, stating that he had actually terminated his contract on January 6. Evidently, the two sides are far apart both geographically and in terms of their player-club relationship, too,

We’ve since learned that Beni Badibanga has retained a lawyer regarding the situation, arguing that Forge operated in bad faith after having given him verbal promises that the club would sell him if an offer came in at a particular price.

More than one offer has come in matching that initial price over the last six months, but Forge has allegedly moved the proverbial goal posts on what it viewed as an acceptable offer. The figure is now reportedly double what a club representative had first told both the player and his agent it would sell him for during their initial negotiations in 2023, though this was not a contractual guarantee.

The promised figure, we’re told, is not a record-breaking amount for the league, but has become a clear point of contention between the two parties.

Badibanga had also expressed concern of the club option being included in his contract prior to signing, but was given verbal promises that he would not be kept if he truly did not want to be.

The Belgian attacker introduced himself well to the club after arriving as a midseason reinforcement in 2023, scoring an audacious equalizer in that year’s CPL Final en route to a playoff trophy win.

⚒️GOAL🚨#CanPL. FINAL. BADI-BANGERS. ONLY.@ForgeFCHamilton's Béni Badibanga levels up this CPL final in extra time with a GOLAZO, just minutes after Cavalry's opener

🔴https://t.co/7JFAUhgjL6 pic.twitter.com/hi9xK179Lc

— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) October 29, 2023

His full season last year saw him rack up eight goals and four assists, even scoring against MLS side Toronto FC in the Canadian Championship semi-finals. Forge picked up a regular season championship, but bowed out in Calgary’s playoff grand final.

Firm interest in the player came in as 2024 progressed, including an offer in the summer that matched the initial price promised to Badibanga as a ‘buyout’ of sorts, though a slightly larger figure was then countered by the club.

Later on, another club matched that increased price tag, but Forge said his value was a higher number that time around too.

With Forge putting a price on the attacker higher than what he had been verbally promised as a selling point – and then upping that figure to another after the a different club had inquired in the summer – it’s clear Badibanga feels that Forge is not holding up its promise to him, particularly with the activation of his club option amidst the dispute.

With the attacker still under contract, however, hopes for a quick and clear resolution to the dispute are slim.

For now, Badibanga remains in Belgium while his Forge teammates prepare for continental action against Liga MX giant CF Monterrey, activating its loan option on left-back Daniel Parra who had wished to return to his home country whilst he continues his concurrent university education.

The case unfolding with Beni Badibanga isn’t unprecedented in Canada’s top flight, though how it unfolded is unique. Cavalry striker Myer Bevan was under contract but absent last year due to family reasons, while Triston Henry’s dispute last year saw him released five months later when it was clear the goalkeeper was not coming back despite being on contract.

Henry, too, had been expecting to be let go through verbal commitments, but the club did not wish to let him go for less than a particular amount it deemed fair value after activating his option.

When reached for comment about Badibanga’s status, a club representative from Forge reiterated he was under contract. A public statement from the club was not available at the time of publication.

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Header Image Photo Credit: John Jacques