Ibou Faye: Senegal striker joins KRC Mechelen on free transfer from BSC Old Boys

Senegalese centre-forward Ibou Faye has joined Belgian side KRC Mechelen on a free transfer from Swiss club BSC Old Boys. The 31-year-old has signed a deal running until 30 June 2027 with the 2de Nationale VV B outfit.

Faye, a 1.92m right-footed striker born in Dakar, makes the move back to Belgium after spending the second half of last season in Switzerland, having joined Old Boys from French side FR Haguenau in February 2026. His arrival gives Mechelen a physically imposing option through the middle as they prepare for the new campaign.

The forward is no stranger to Belgian football, having previously played for RFC Seraing after moving there from Senegalese club Generation Foot in 2016. He later had a spell in Portugal with Leixoes B before a period without a club in 2020, rebuilding his career through a series of free transfers in the French lower leagues with US Sarre-Union, SR Colmar, ASC Biesheim and US Forbach.

Across his senior career, Faye has shown an eye for goal at various levels, including double-figure scoring seasons in both the French National 3 and the Swiss 1. Liga, and has also featured in continental competition in the CAF Confederation Cup. In Belgium’s third tier, he has previously managed 18 goals in 73 appearances, underlining his familiarity with the demands of the domestic pyramid.

Faye’s switch from BSC Old Boys to KRC Mechelen is confirmed as a permanent free transfer, tying him to the Belgian club until the summer of 2027.