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Washington Spirit have signed Burkina Faso defender Alimata Bélem to a four-year contract through the 2029 season, the club announced on Tuesday, bringing their contingent of African internationals to five.
This is the largest African delegation of any club in the NWSL.
Bélem, who joins from SD Eibar of Spain's Liga F, will remain at the Spanish club on loan through the end of the 2026 calendar year and report to Washington for preseason in January.
"It is with immense pride and great enthusiasm that I join the Washington Spirit," Bélem said in a statement shared by the Spirit.
"I want to thank the leadership, the staff and everyone who placed their trust in me. This signing marks an important new step in my career.
"I am aware of the responsibilities ahead of me, and I am committed to giving my very best, both on and off the field, in order to contribute to the club's ambitions. May this adventure be filled with hard work, progress and great victories.
"Thank you, and see you soon!"
The 21-year-old centre back started all 29 of her league appearances for Eibar last season, playing more than 2,500 minutes. She spent the previous two seasons with DUX Logroño, who won promotion to Liga F through the 2024-25 Primera Federación playoffs after finishing fourth and beating AEM and Cacereño.
"Alimata has shown great potential playing at a high level in Liga F and we look forward to helping her develop her game even more with experience," Spirit sporting director James Hocken said.
"We're excited to welcome her to the club at the start of next season."
Bélem is from Ouagadougou and was part of Burkina Faso's squad at the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations, the country's first appearance at the tournament. The Stallions Ladies exited at the group stage and missed the 2024 edition.
They return to the tournament this edition where they have been pooled in Group B with South Africa, Tanzania and Côte d'Ivoire and will open Group B play against Kouassi's Ivory Coast on July 27 at Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Rabat.
Bélem's signing is the second African player the Spirit have signed this month. Cameroon midfielder Monique Ngock joined on July 9 from FC Fleury 91 on a three-year deal with a club option for 2029.
The two arrivals bring the number of African internationals at the capital club to five. Others are Ivory Coast forward Rosemonde Kouassi, who, like Ngock, arrived from Fleury in 2024 and has made 50 appearances for the club with 10 goals and 12 assists.
Nigeria internationals Gift Monday and Deborah Abiodun followed not long after. Monday joined last year from UD Tenerife and scored a hat trick inside 36 minutes against the Houston Dash.
Abiodun signed out of college in 2024 and has played at a Women's World Cup, a WAFCON and an Olympic Games for the Super Falcons. Both are in Nigeria's squad for the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, which begins in Morocco on Sunday.
That number of African internationals uniquely positions the Spirit as the NWSL team with the most African players in the entire league. Across the16 NWSL rosters, there is a league total of 13 African senior internationals across eight clubs. Washington's five is more than double the next highest.
Expansion side Boston Legacy FC have two in forwards in Fauzia Najjemba of Uganda and Mali's Aïssata Traoré, the first Malian to play in the league. Angel City, Bay FC, Chicago Stars, Kansas City Current, North Carolina Courage and Orlando Pride have one player each.
The Spirit also have a sixth player of African descent. Defender Élisabeth Tsé, signed from Le Havre in January on a three-year deal with a 2029 club option, is of Ivorien origin and considered representing Côte d'Ivoire at international level.
Tsé, born in Québec City, has instead come through the Canadian system and decided to represent Canada instead.
The Spirit's history with African players runs back more than a decade. Nigeria forward Francisca Ordega signed in March 2015 and spent four years at the club, scoring 13 goals in 63 appearances.
Her extra-time goal in the 2016 NWSL semifinal sent the Spirit to their first championship game. Ordega, now with Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, is in Nigeria's WAFCON squad.
The players are following a path opened by Nigeria forward Mercy Akide, who not was the first African woman to play football abroad, but became the first to play in the Women's United Soccer Association, the first professional women's league in the United States, joining San Diego Spirit for their inaugural season in 2001.
She spent two seasons there before returning to the Hampton Roads Piranhas after the WUSA folded in 2003. Akide played at the 1995, 1999 and 2003 World Cups and at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics.
CAF named the Nigeria forward its first African Women's Footballer of the Year in 1999, the same year Nwankwo Kanu won the men's award, making it the first time players from the same country won both the men's and women's awards simultaneously.
Note: Colin Udoh is married to Mercy Akide.
The NWSL airs on ESPN's channels in Africa, as well as on Disney+ in South Africa.
