Yoane Wissa
Wissa warming up for Lorient in 2019
Personal information
Full name Yoane Wissa[1]
Date of birth (1996-09-03) 3 September 1996 (age 27)
Place of birth Épinay-sous-Sénart, France
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward, left winger
Team information
Current team
 Brentford
Number 11
Youth career
2004–2010 Épinay-sous-Sénart
2010–2011 Linas-Montlhéry
2011–2013 Épinay-sous-Sénart
2013–2015 Châteauroux
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2016 Châteauroux II 20 (9)
2015–2016 Châteauroux 23 (7)
2016–2018 Angers 2 (0)
2016–2017 Angers II 5 (4)
2017 → Laval (loan) 15 (2)
2017 → Laval II (loan) 1 (0)
2017–2018 → Ajaccio (loan) 20 (9)
2018–2021 Lorient 117 (35)
2021– Brentford 87 (18)
International career‡
2020– DR Congo 22 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:51, 6 January 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:29, 28 January 2024 (UTC)

Yoane Wissa (born 3 September 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward or left winger for Premier League club Brentford. Born in France, he represents the DR Congo national team at international level.

A product of the Châteauroux academy, Wissa began his senior career with the club in 2015. Following a spell with Angers, he transferred to Lorient in 2018. Wissa was a part of the Lorient team which finished the 2019–20 season as Ligue 2 champions. Following a season in Ligue 1, he joined Brentford in 2021.

Club career

Early years

Wissa began his youth career as a goalkeeper at the age of seven.[3] He played for his local youth club Épinay-sous-Sénart, before moving to midfield and then the forward line.[4] As his youth career progressed, he also became adept as a winger and number 10.[5] Wissa began his senior career as a forward with Châteauroux and progressed through the reserve team to break into the first team during the 2015–16 Championnat National season,[3][6] which he finished with 24 appearances and seven goals.[7] A transfer to Ligue 1 club Angers followed in 2016, but Wissa managed just two substitute appearances during the first half of the 2016–17 season and he played much of 2017 away on loan at Ligue 2 clubs Laval and Ajaccio.[7][5] Wissa departed the Stade Raymond Kopa in January 2018.[5]

Lorient

In January 2018, Wissa transferred to Ligue 2 club Lorient and immediately established himself at the promotion-chasing club.[5] Promotion to Ligue 1 was attained at the end of the 2019–20 season, when Wissa's 15 goals in 28 appearances helped the club to the Ligue 2 championship.[5] He made 38 appearances and scored 10 goals during the 2020–21 season,[7] in which Lorient narrowly avoided finishing in the relegation playoff places.[5] Wissa departed the club in August 2021 and finished his 3+1⁄2-year stay at the Stade du Moustoir with 128 appearances and 37 goals.[7][5]

Brentford

On 10 August 2021, Wissa moved to England to join newly-promoted Premier League club Brentford on a four-year contract, with the option of a further year, for an undisclosed fee, reported to be £8.5 million.[8] The transfer had been in the works for two years and he had turned down the opportunity to move to the Community Stadium during the previous transfer window.[9] Despite being unable to link up with the club during pre-season due to having undergone eye surgery,[10] Wissa scored five goals in his first six appearances for the club.[11] His brace in a 7–0 EFL Cup third round win over Oldham Athletic on 21 September 2021 was recognised with a place in the EFL Cup Team of the Round and his second goal,[12] a bicycle kick, was voted Goal of the Round and Goal of the Tournament.[13][14] Wissa's goalscoring run was ended by an ankle knock suffered in mid-October 2021.[15] He returned to match play two months later and was deployed in a mixture of starting and substitute roles through to the end of the season,[10] which included a run of six starts during the final 9 matches of the season.[7] Wissa ended the 2021–22 season with 34 appearances and 10 goals.[16]

Wissa was deployed in a mix of starting and substitute roles and scored seven goals in 40 appearances during the 2022–23 season,[7] in which Brentford were still in contention for a European place on the final day.[17] In May 2023, he signed a new three-year contract, with the option of a further year.[11] Following Ivan Toney being handed an eight-month ban from all football-related activity in May 2023, Wissa began the 2023–24 season as Brentford's starting centre forward.[18] Following the transfer deadline day loan signing of Neal Maupay,[19] Wissa alternated between the forward and left wing positions.[20][21]

International career

Wissa won his maiden call into the DR Congo squad for a pair of friendly matches in October 2020.[22] He scored his first two international goals on his second and third caps, in friendly and 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches versus Morocco respectively.[23] Wissa was a part of the DR Congo squad which qualified for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and he was named in the squad for the tournament finals.[23][24] He scored the equaliser in DR Congo's 1–1 draw with Zambia on his tournament debut in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations opening round of group fixtures.[25]

Style of play

Wissa has been described as a player who "fits many different positions", including winger, number 10 and forward.[5] He has "pace and power", is "a threat in behind", "has good ability to take on players and create overloads" and "good pressing abilities".[5]

Personal life

Born in France of Congolese descent,[26] Wissa can speak the Lingala language.[27] His parents were born in Léopoldville in the early 1960s. He acquired French nationality on December 2000 through the collective effect of his parents' naturalization.[28]

Prior to making the decision to concentrate on football at age 15, he also played rugby union.[9] He was the subject of an alleged acid attack in July 2021 and made a full recovery from emergency eye surgery.[8][10]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 5 January 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Châteauroux II 2013–14[7] CFA 2 Group G 1 0 ― ― 1 0
2014–15[7] CFA 2 Group B 14 9 ― ― 14 9
2015–16[7] CFA 2 Group B 5 0 ― ― 5 0
Total 20 9 ― ― 20 9
Châteauroux 2015–16[7] Championnat National 23 7 0 0 1 0 24 7
Angers 2016–17[7] Ligue 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Angers II 2016–17[7] CFA 2 Group A 5 4 ― ― 5 4
Laval (loan) 2016–17[7] Ligue 2 15 2 0 0 0 0 15 2
Laval II (loan) 2016–17[7] CFA 2 Group A 1 0 ― ― 1 0
Ajaccio (loan) 2017–18[7] Ligue 2 20 8 2 2 1 0 23 10
Lorient 2017–18[7] Ligue 2 15 4 1 0 ― 16 4
2018–19[7] Ligue 2 36 6 1 0 3 0 40 6
2019–20[7] Ligue 2 28 15 4 1 0 0 32 16
2020–21[7] Ligue 1 38 10 2 1 0 0 40 11
Total 117 35 8 2 3 0 128 37
Brentford 2021–22[16] Premier League 30 7 1 0 3 3 34 10
2022–23[29] Premier League 38 7 1 0 1 0 40 7
2023–24[30] Premier League 19 4 0 0 2 0 21 4
Total 87 18 2 0 6 3 95 21
Career total 290 83 12 4 11 3 313 90
  1. ^ Includes Coupe de France, FA Cup
  2. ^ Includes Coupe de la Ligue, EFL Cup

International

As of match played 28 January 2024[23]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
DR Congo 2020 2 1
2022 6 1
2023 8 1
2024 6 1
Total 22 4
As of match played 24 January 2024
Scores and results list DR Congo's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Wissa goal.[23]
List of international goals scored by Yoane Wissa
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 13 October 2020 Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat, Morocco  Morocco 1–1 1–1 Friendly [31]
2 25 March 2022 Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa, DR Congo  Morocco 1–0 1–1 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification [32]
3 15 November 2023 Stade des Martyrs, Kinshasa, DR Congo  Mauritania 1–0 2–0 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification [33]
4 17 January 2024 Laurent Pokou Stadium, San-Pédro, Ivory Coast  Zambia 1–1 1–1 2023 Africa Cup of Nations [25]

Honours

Lorient

References

  1. ^ "2021/22 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Yoane Wissa". Brentford F.C. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b Goodwin, Adam. "Yoane Wissa: Natural Goalscorer". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  4. ^ Traoré, Samy. "Yoane Wissa (Châteauroux): " Je me fixe un objectif de 10 buts "". Les Esthètes du Foot. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Yoane Wissa Signs for Brentford". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Info FF – Transferts – Mercato : Yoane Wissa (Châteauroux) vers Angers". France Football. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Yoane Wissa at Soccerway. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Brentford transfer news: Yoane Wissa joins from Lorient in £8.5m deal". SkySports. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  9. ^ a b Dean, Sam (15 October 2021). "Yoane Wissa interview: The humble Brentford striker dreaming of Premier League stardom". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  10. ^ a b c Harris, Jay. "Yoane Wissa is finding his feet at last". The Athletic. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  11. ^ a b "Wissa signs new Brentford contract". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  12. ^ Hodgson, George (23 September 2021). "Carabao Cup Team of the Round as Rodriguez and Hughes feature". LancsLive. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  13. ^ "Wissa Wonderstrike Wins Carabao Cup Goal of the Round vote". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  14. ^ "Yoane Wissa voted Carabao Cup Goal of the Competition". www.efl.com. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  15. ^ Taylor, Julian (16 October 2021). "Frank: Bees should have beaten Chelsea". West London Sport. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  16. ^ a b "Games played by Yoane Wissa in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Brentford miss out on Europe despite beating Man City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  18. ^ "Wissa: I'll thrive on pressure as Brentford's centre-forward". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  19. ^ "Maupay returns to Brentford". Brentford FC. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  20. ^ "Frank's new-look front three combine to devastating effect as Brentford beat Burnley | Brentford FC". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  21. ^ Harris, Jay. "Mbeumo has stepped up this season – his injury could be damaging for Brentford". The Athletic. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  22. ^ "RD Congo : Six nouveaux chez les Léopards, mais pas Disasi" [DR Congo: Six new among the Leopards, but not Disasi] (in French). 22 September 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  23. ^ a b c d "Yoane Wissa". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  24. ^ "Onyeka and Wissa receive AFCON call-ups". Brentford FC. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  25. ^ a b "DR Congo vs. Zambia". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  26. ^ "Les échos de Muko : Masuaku prend le meilleur sur Kebano, Wamangituka et Bela montent en puissance". 19 December 2018.
  27. ^ "Interwiew selfie. Yoane Wissa : « Mon rêve était d'être astronaute »". Le Telegramme (in French). 3 February 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  28. ^ "Journal officiel de la République française n° 0303 du 31 décembre 2000 – Légifrance". legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  29. ^ "Games played by Yoane Wissa in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  30. ^ "Games played by Yoane Wissa in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  31. ^ "Morocco vs. DR Congo". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  32. ^ "DR Congo vs. Morocco". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  33. ^ "DR Congo vs. Mauritania". www.national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 17 January 2024.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yoane Wissa.
Brentford F.C. – current squad
DR Congo squad – 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
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