Report: 2023 USL Championship POTY Signs With RIFC

Albert Dikwa is coming to Rhode Island

The Rhode Island FC offseason has been full of big splashes, but the expansion side may have made their biggest splash yet.

According to Tom Bogert of The Athletic, RIFC has signed Albert Dikwa, formerly of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Since the news broke, sources have confirmed Bogert’s report to The Blazing Musket.

Dikwa announced on Instagram that he would not be returning to Pittsburgh, where he has played the previous four seasons and which finished 2023 with the best record in the 2023 regular season.

Over 82 appearances in four seasons, Dikwa scored 36 goals in USL Championship play. Additionally, he’s coming off a career year, scoring 20 goals in 28 appearances, making him the 13th player in USL Championship history to record a 20 goal season. In addition to claiming the 2023 USL Championship Golden Boot, he was awarded the 2023 USL Championship Player of the Year.

The 26-year old forward from Cameroon also has played with Orlando City B in 2017 and Saint Louis FC in 2018-2019, both of the USL Championship.

While it remains to be seen how the roster comes together, RIFC signing the best player from one of the top teams in the USL Championship will certainly send shockwaves throughout the league.