Ayanda Sishuba

Ayanda Sishuba
Sishuba training with Lens in 2023
Personal information
Date of birth (2005-02-02) 2 February 2005 (age 19)
Place of birth Tournai, Belgium
Height 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Hellas Verona
Number 17
Youth career
2009–2014 Mouscron
2014–2017 Lille
2017–2018 Mouscron
2018–2022 Lens
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022–2024 Lens B 36 (12)
2023–2024 Lens 7 (0)
2024– Hellas Verona 0 (0)
International career
2022 Belgium U17 2 (0)
2023 Belgium U18 3 (2)
2023– Belgium U19 10 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 August 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 March 2024

Ayanda Sishuba (born 2 February 2005) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Hellas Verona.[1]

Club career

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Born in Tournai, Belgium, Sishuba first played for Excelsior Mouscron—where his father Asanda Sishuba then was a professional footballer—from the age of four, before moving to France, joining the Lille academy. But after three seasons he signed for their Nord-Pas-de-Calaisiens rivals of RC Lens at the age of 13.[2][3][4]

He signed his first professional contract with the club in December 2021, as he had already become a standout with the under-19, aged only 16.[2]

Ayanda Sishuba began to train regularly with Lens' first team during the 2022–23 season,[5] while having established himself as a leader of the National 3 reserve team.[6]

He was among the young players selected to join the first team during the 2023–24 pre-season,[3] already proving decisive during the friendly against Dunkirk, coming on as a substitute, obtaining two penalties, scoring a goal and delivering an assist.[4]

On 31 August 2024, Sishuba signed with Hellas Verona in Italy.[7]

International career

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Sishuba is a youth international for Belgium, having played three games with the under-18 for two goals by the summer 2023.[3][4]

Personal life

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Sishuba is the son of the South African footballer Asanda Sishuba.[2]

Career statistics

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Club

[edit]
As of match played 19 May 2024
Appearances by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Lens B 2021–22 Championnat National 2 7 0 7 0
2022–23 Championnat National 3 18 9 18 9
2023–24 Championnat National 3 11 3 11 3
Total 36 12 36 12
Lens 2023–24 Ligue 1 7 0 1 0 0 0 8 0
Hellas Verona 2024–25 Serie A 0 0 0 0
Career total 43 12 1 0 0 0 44 12

References

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  1. ^ Ayanda Sishuba at Soccerway. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "RC Lens : qui est Ayanda Sishuba, nouveau contrat pro du club ?". L'Avenir de l'Artois (in French). Nord Littoral [fr]. 21 December 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Tanzi, Loïc; Delom, Hugo; Bourlon, Antoine; Richard, Roland (22 June 2023). "" L'avenir leur appartient ", le podcast, épisode 3 : Ayanda Sishuba, le Belge qui monte". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Malice, Florent (8 July 2023). "Retenez bien son nom : un jeune belge épate en présaison avec le Racing Lens". Walfoot.be (in French). Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  5. ^ "RC Lens: Ayanda Sishuba, le "mini Openda" en couveuse". La Voix du Nord (in French). 21 April 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  6. ^ Melilli, Giordano (26 April 2023). "RC Lens : Ayanda Sishuba, " La finalité, c'est de jouer à Bollaert en pro "". L'Avenir de l'Artois (in French). Nord Littoral. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  7. ^ "A new midfielder for Verona: welcome Ayanda!". Hellas Verona. 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
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