*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11:21, 21 October 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 September 2023
Formerly a youth international for France, where he was born, Bifouma made his senior debut for the Congo in 2014. He competed at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, where he was joint top scorer.
On 10 August 2011, in the Copa Catalunya final, Bifouma scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 victory over a FC Barcelona team that was filled with reserve and youth players.[6] On 17 December, he netted his first goal with the main squad, scoring the opener in an eventual 2–1 away defeat of Sporting de Gijón.[7]
On 31 January 2014, Bifouma signed for West Bromwich Albion on a loan deal with a view to a permanent transfer, being awarded the number 50 shirt.[10][11] He made his debut in the Premier League eight days later, playing the second half and scoring within 36 seconds of taking the pitch in a 3–1 away loss against Crystal Palace.[12]
Bifouma moved to fellow top-division club UD Almería on 13 August 2014, in a season-long loan.[13] On 19 March of the following year, he was suspended for one month due to allegations of breach of contract with his former agent;[14] the ban was lifted days later, and he continued to appear regularly for the Andalusians, which suffered relegation.[15]
On 19 August 2015, Bifouma was loaned to Granada CF of the same league for one year.[16] He finished the season with Stade de Reims, also owned by Espanyol.[17]
Remaining in the same league, Bifouma signed a one-year contract with Sivasspor on 9 September 2017.[22] Only eight days later, he netted twice in a 4–2 victory on his return to the Osmanlı Stadium.[23]
Bifouma went back to the Turkish capital in June 2018, agreeing to a three-year deal at MKE Ankaragücü.[24] He scored once during his brief tenure, a late consolation in a 2–1 home defeat to Kasımpaşa S.K. on 2 September,[25] and moved on again on 22 January 2019 when he signed with third-placed Yeni Malatyaspor for an undisclosed fee.[26] On 15 December that year, he scored in a 2–0 win at Beşiktaş J.K. which broke the Istanbul club's six-match winning streak.[27]
Ten months after leaving China with no goals and one assist to his name from nine appearances, Bifouma returned to Turkey in February 2022, signing for a Bursaspor side fighting to remain in the TFF First League.[30] He was one of 17 players to leave following their relegation.[31]
Later career
On 16 September 2022, Bifouma joined OFI Crete F.C. on a two-year contract.[32]
On 6 September 2014, in the same competition, Bifouma scored a brace in a 3–2 win in Nigeria.[35] At the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations finals, he netted Congo's first goal of the tournament in a 1–1 draw with hosts Equatorial Guinea.[36] He also scored the opener in their 2–1 group phase victory over Burkina Faso, a result which qualified the nation to the quarter-finals for the first time since 1992,[37] where he grabbed his final goal against the DR Congo, putting his team ahead 2–0 but in an eventual 4–2 defeat;[38] with three goals, he was one of five joint top scorers.[39]
Having missed over two years of games for reasons including travel restrictions in China during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bifouma was recalled to the Congolese squad in September 2020.[40] He finally played again the following 26 March, in a goalless draw at home to Senegal in 2021 Africa Cup of Nationsqualification.[41][42]
^"¡Thievy ya está aquí!" [Thievy is already here!] (in Spanish). Granada CF. 19 August 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
^Golden Eloué, James (25 March 2021). "Congo-Sénégal: Thievy Bifouma promet d'être à la hauteur" [Congo-Senegal: Thievy Bifouma promises to be up to the task] (in French). Agence d'Information d'Afrique Centrale. Retrieved 14 December 2021.