PAWTUCKET, R.I. – Rhode Island FC announced on Tuesday midfielder Jojea Kwizera had been called up to the Rwanda Men’s National team for the October window of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.

Rwanda, which currently sits in fourth place in Group C of CAF World Cup Qualifying, will host first-place Benin at Stade Amohoro on Friday before traveling to Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday to conclude its group stage slate with a critical matchup vs. second-place South Africa. Kwizera receives his club-leading eighth international call-up as an active RIFC player and is the only player to receive a senior call-up in 2025.

After eight games played across two previous group stage windows, Rwanda (3W-3L-2T) is currently in fourth place in Group C with 11 points, behind third-place Nigeria based on the head-to-head tiebreaker. With all nine group winners automatically qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and just two games remaining, Rwanda’s final group stage fixtures in October are critical, as The Wasps will face both of the top teams in Group C and are just three points removed from automatic qualification in a tight race. 

Kwizera has played a crucial role in Rwanda’s World Cup Qualifying journey over the last two seasons, quickly becoming a regular in the squad. Kwizera’s most recent World Cup Qualifying action with The Wasps came during the September window, where he featured in both of Rwanda’s games, including its massive 1-0 victory over Zimbabwe that kept its World Cup Qualification hopes alive. Earlier in the year on March 25, Kwizera scored the lone goal in Rwanda’s 1-1 draw with Lesotho in the CAF World Cup Qualifying matchup to help Rwanda finish the window in second place. The goal was the second of his international career.