Kwizera will join Rwanda for AFCON qualifying, while Atkinson will compete in CONCACAF Nations League with Jamaica
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (Sept. 20, 2026) – Rhode Island FC announced today that midfielders Jojea Kwizera and Dwayne Atkinson have been called up to their respective national teams for the upcoming September/October FIFA international window. Kwizera receives his club-leading eleventh international call-up for the Rwanda Football Federation Men’s National Team and will feature in a pair of qualifying games for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations vs. Liberia (Sept. 25) and Cabo Verde (Sept. 29). Atkinson, who earns his third call-up for the Jamaica Football Federation Men’s National Team since signing for RIFC, will join The Reggae Boyz for a set of CONCACAF Nations League Group Stage matchups vs. Guatemala (Sept. 25), Honduras (Sept. 28/Oct. 5) and El Salvador (Oct. 2).
Kwizera and Atkinson, who both receive their third international call-ups of 2026, will miss Rhode Island FC’s upcoming games against Charleston Battery (Sept. 26), Indy Eleven (Sept. 30) and Brooklyn FC (Oct. 3).
“RIFC has established itself as a major player on the international stage, and showcasing our players in continental competition is another example of the talent our club has to offer,” said Rhode Island FC Head Coach and General Manager Khano Smith. “We look forward to watching Dwayne and Jojea represent their countries and wish them the best of luck in the upcoming window.”
Kwizera has made 14 starts in 18 career appearances for The Wasps, scoring three goals and logging two assists in 1,044 minutes across all competitions. The 26-year-old midfielder most recently made a pair of starts against Grenada and Estonia that led Rwanda to the 2026 FIFA Series trophy, scoring a goal and adding an assist in the nation’s 4-0 win over Grenada on March 27.
During Rwanda’s 2026 World Cup Qualifying campaign, Kwizera was a regular in The Wasps’ squad, making six starts in eight Confederation of African Football (CAF) Group Stage appearances and scoring two goals. On June 11, 2024, in just his second career appearance for Rwanda, Kwizera scored the first goal of his international career in a 1-0 win over Lesotho. On March 25, 2025, Kwizera struck once again vs. Lesotho, scoring the lone goal in Rwanda’s 1-1 tie.
Kwizera signed with Rhode Island FC on Jan. 4, 2024, and has been a critical piece of a squad that advanced to back-to-back USL Championship Eastern Conference Finals in its first two seasons. The midfielder has logged 6,737 minutes and ranks fifth all-time with 90 career appearances for the Ocean State club across all competitions, logging 11 goals and 11 assists. This season, Kwizera is RIFC’s active leader with a career-high six goals, including his first career brace in RIFC’s 4-1 win vs. Brooklyn FC on May 23. He most recently scored a penalty kick in the 90th minute of RIFC’s 3-0 win over Sporting Club Jacksonville, earning him a 10th career selection to the USL Championship Team of the Week.
Atkinson, who has made eight prior appearances for the Jamaican National Team in his international career, joins Kwizera as one of three all-time active RIFC players to earn a senior international call-up. The midfielder most recently scored his first-ever international goal in a hard-fought 1-1 tie vs. South Africa on June 6, coming off the bench to score a dramatic equalizer in the third minute of second-half stoppage time. Prior to his time with RIFC, Atkinson made his first-ever start for The Reggae Boyz in their 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup Group C win over Guadeloupe on June 20, representing one of just five domestic Jamaican players to feature in the country’s 2025 Gold Cup squad.
Since signing for Rhode Island FC on Aug. 7, 2025, Atkinson has made 36 appearances across all competitions for the Ocean State club, scoring four goals in 1,049 minutes. The midfielder has become known for his heroics off the bench, scoring his first three career goals for the club less than three minutes after entering the field. He became the first substitute in club history to score less than a minute after coming off the bench on March 28, finding the back of the net just 50 seconds into his shift during RIFC’s regular-season contest at Miami FC.
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