PRONUNCIATION: joe-jay-ah KWEE-ZEH-RAH
POSITION: Defender
BIRTHDATE: Jan. 27, 2000
HEIGHT: 5-9
WEIGHT: 150
HOMETOWN: West Jordan, Utah
YOUTH CLUB: Forza West FC
PREVIOUS TEAMS: CF Montréal (MLS), Utah State University Eastern (NCAA), Utah Valley University (NCAA)
PROFILE
Kwizera joined Rhode Island FC on January 4, 2024, after two seasons with MLS side CF Montréal. In his first two seasons with the Ocean State club, the Rwandan international started 52 games in 64 appearances across all competitions, scoring five goals and adding eight assists in 4,649 minutes. On the international stage, Kwizera led all RIFC players with eight senior call-ups for his native Rwanda in 2024 and 2025, playing an essential role in The Wasps’ qualifying campaigns for the 2024 African Cup of Nations and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
2025: Kwizera tallied two goals and two assists across all competitions in 2025, starting 27 of his 33 appearances and playing 2,338 minutes. In 24 regular-season games, he finished second on the team with 27 successful crosses.
2024: In his first season in the USL Championship, the Rwandan midfielder tallied three goals and six assists, logging 2,256 minutes in 30 appearances and making 25 starts.
Before RIFC: Kwizera burst onto the scene after Montréal selected him as the 15th overall pick in the first round of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. Kwizera tallied 407 minutes and 12 appearances during his two seasons in Canada. Prior to joining the MLS side, Kwizera split his four-year collegiate career between Utah State University Eastern and Utah Valley University. In his senior campaign at Utah Valley, Kwizera scored five times and led the Western Athletic Conference in assists (11). His junior season ended with an All-WAC Second Team selection. Kwizera transferred to Utah Valley from USU Eastern, where he recorded seven goals and 11 assists in 34 appearances. Kwizera was born in Bukavu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and moved to Salt Lake City at the age of nine.
