Jojea Kwizera will represent Rwanda, while Atkinson will feature for his native Jamaica
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (June 1, 2026) – Rhode Island FC announced today that midfielders Jojea Kwizera and Dwayne Atkinson have been called up to their respective national teams for the June 2026 FIFA international window. Kwizera receives his club-leading tenth international call-up for Rwanda, and will feature in a pair of international friendlies vs. Comoros (June 6) and Tanzania (June 9). Atkinson, who is set to make eighth career appearance for Jamaica, will join The Reggae Boyz in an international friendly vs. South Africa (June 5). The pair represent the first time in club history that multiple RIFC players have received call-ups in the same window.
“We are proud to have such a strong international presence at Rhode Island FC and continue to showcase our talent on the international stage,” said Rhode Island FC Head Coach and General Manager Khano Smith. “We wish both Jojea and Dwayne the best of luck in the upcoming window and look forward to watching them represent their countries.”
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. He most recently tallied a goal and an assist in Rwanda’s 4-0 win over Grenada in March 27, highlighting a pair of starts against Grenada and Estonia that fueled the nation’s path to the 2026 FIFA Series trophy.
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 also featured heavily in the qualification rounds of the 2024 African Cup of Nations, starting all six games in Group D and helping Rwanda to a 2W-2L-2T record. On November 18, 2024, the midfielder highlighted his AFCON Qualifying resume with an assist in a historic 2-1 upset win over Nigeria.
Atkinson, who has made seven prior appearances for the Jamaican National Team in his international career, joins Kwizera as one of three active RIFC players to earn a senior international call-up. He most recently logged his first international assist in The Reggae Boyz’ 1-0 win over Grenada on Jan. 18. 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.
Kwizera and Atkinson, who both receive their second international call-ups of 2026, will miss Rhode Island FC’s Prinx Tires USL Cup game vs. USL League One club Westchester SC on Saturday, June 6.
Kwizera signed with Rhode Island FC on Jan. 4, 2024, and has been a critical piece of a squad that featured in back-to-back USL Championship Eastern Conference Finals in its first two seasons. The midfielder has logged 5,637 minutes in 76 career appearances for the Ocean State club across all competitions, logging 10 goals and eight assists. This season, Kwizera leads the team with a career-high five regular-season goals, including his first career brace in RIFC’s 4-1 win vs. Brooklyn FC on May 23. His most recent goal, a stunning long-range curling effort from outside the box, was voted the USL Championship Week 12 Goal of the Week.
Since signing for Rhode Island FC on Aug. 7, 2025, Atkinson has made 23 appearances across all competitions for the Ocean State club, scoring three goals in 764 minutes across all competitions. He memorably scored his first-ever goal in RIFC’s USL Cup Quarterfinal win vs. Birmingham Legion FC on Aug. 20, 2025, scoring in just his second appearance for the club to give the Ocean State club its first-ever cup win at Centreville Bank Stadium.
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