{{short description|South African Belgian born footballer (born 2005)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Ayanda Sishuba | image = Entraînement du RC Lens - 3 juillet 2023 38.jpg | upright = | alt = | caption = Sishuba training with Lens in 2023 | full_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2005|February|2|df=y}} | birth_place = Tournai, Belgium | height = 1.69 m | position = Midfielder | currentclub = Montpellier<br> (on loan from Rennes) | clubnumber = 28 | youthyears1 = 2009–2014 | youthclubs1 = Mouscron | youthyears2 = 2014–2017 | youthclubs2 = Lille | youthyears3 = 2017–2018 | youthclubs3 = Mouscron | youthyears4 = 2018–2022 | youthclubs4 = Lens | years1 = 2022–2024 | clubs1 = Lens B | caps1 = 36 | goals1 = 12 | years2 = 2023–2024 | clubs2 = Lens | caps2 = 7 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2024–2025 | clubs3 = Hellas Verona | caps3 = 0 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2025– | clubs4 = Rennes | caps4 = 1 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2025– | clubs5 = → Montpellier (loan) | caps5 = 11 | goals5 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 2022 | nationalteam1 = Belgium U17 | nationalcaps1 = 2 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 2023 | nationalteam2 = Belgium U18 | nationalcaps2 = 3 | nationalgoals2 = 2 | nationalyears3 = 2023– | nationalteam3 = Belgium U19 | nationalcaps3 = 10 | nationalgoals3 = 3 | club-update = 11 May 2026 | nationalteam-update = 26 March 2024 | medaltemplates = }} '''Ayanda Sishuba''' (born 2 February 2005) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for {{French football updater|Montpellier}} club Montpellier, on loan from {{French football updater|Rennes}} club Rennes.<ref>{{Soccerway|id=ayanda-sishuba/813553|accessdate=23 July 2023}}</ref>
== Club career == ===Lens=== Born in Tournai, Belgium, Sishuba first played for Excelsior Mouscron—where his father Asanda Sishuba then was a professional footballer—from the age of four, before moving to France, joining the Lille academy. But after three seasons he signed for their Nord-Pas-de-Calaisiens rivals of RC Lens at the age of 13.<ref name="nl">{{Cite web |date=2021-12-21 |title=RC Lens : qui est Ayanda Sishuba, nouveau contrat pro du club ? |url=https://www.nordlittoral.fr/132847/article/2021-12-21/rc-lens-qui-est-ayanda-sishuba-nouveau-contrat-pro-du-club |access-date=2023-07-23 |website=L'Avenir de l'Artois |publisher={{ill|Nord Littoral|fr}} |language=fr}}</ref><ref name="leq">{{Cite web |last1=Tanzi |first1=Loïc |last2=Delom |first2=Hugo |last3=Bourlon |first3=Antoine |last4=Richard |first4=Roland |date=22 June 2023 |title=" L'avenir leur appartient ", le podcast, épisode 3 : Ayanda Sishuba, le Belge qui monte |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Football/Actualites/-l-avenir-leur-appartient-le-podcast-episode-3-ayanda-sishuba-le-belge-qui-monte/1404216 |access-date=2023-07-23 |website=L'Équipe |language=fr}}</ref><ref name="wal">{{Cite web |last=Malice |first=Florent |date=2023-07-08 |title=Retenez bien son nom : un jeune belge épate en présaison avec le Racing Lens |url=https://www.walfoot.be/news/2023-07-08/retenez-bien-son-nom--un-jeune-belge-epate-en-presaison-avec-le-racing-lens |access-date=2023-07-23 |website=Walfoot.be |language=fr}}</ref>
He signed his first professional contract with the club in December 2021, as he had already become a standout with the under-19, aged only 16.<ref name=nl/>
Ayanda Sishuba began to train regularly with Lens' first team during the 2022–23 season,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-04-21 |title=RC Lens: Ayanda Sishuba, le "mini Openda" en couveuse |url=https://www.lavoixdunord.fr/1318836/article/2023-04-21/rc-lens-ayanda-sishuba-le-mini-openda-en-couveuse |url-access=limited |access-date=2023-07-23 |website=La Voix du Nord |language=fr}}</ref> while having established himself as a leader of the National 3 reserve team.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Melilli |first=Giordano |date=2023-04-26 |title=RC Lens : Ayanda Sishuba, " La finalité, c'est de jouer à Bollaert en pro " |url=https://www.nordlittoral.fr/172332/article/2023-04-26/rc-lens-ayanda-sishuba-la-finalite-c-est-de-jouer-bollaert-en-pro |access-date=2023-07-23 |website=L'Avenir de l'Artois |publisher=Nord Littoral |language=fr}}</ref>
He was among the young players selected to join the first team during the 2023–24 pre-season,<ref name="leq"/> already proving decisive during the friendly against Dunkirk, coming on as a substitute, obtaining two penalties, scoring a goal and delivering an assist.<ref name="wal"/>
===Hellas Verona=== On 31 August 2024, Sishuba signed with Hellas Verona in Italy.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Hellas Verona|url=https://www.hellasverona.it/en/news/a-new-midfielder-for-verona-welcome-ayanda|title=A new midfielder for Verona: welcome Ayanda!|date=31 August 2024|access-date=31 August 2024}}</ref> However, he featured in only two matches in the U20 Primavera competitions.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2025/rennes-to-sign-hellas-verona-midfielder-ayanda-sishuba/ |title=Rennes to sign Hellas Verona midfielder Ayanda Sishuba |publisher=Get French Football News |date=3 February 2025 }}</ref>
===Rennes=== On 3 February 2025, Sishuba went back to Ligue 1 and signed with Rennes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.staderennais.com/actualites/mercato/le-talent-belge-ayanda-sishuba-rejoint-rennes |title=Le talent belge Ayanda Sishuba rejoint Rennes |publisher=Stade Rennais FC |language=fr |date=3 February 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-03 |title=Official {{!}} Rennes sign Hellas Verona midfielder Ayanda Sishuba |publisher=Get French Football News |url=https://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2025/official-rennes-sign-hellas-verona-midfielder-ayanda-sishuba/ |access-date=2025-02-04 |language=en-US}}</ref>
== International career == Sishuba is eligible to play for either Belgium, France, or South Africa.
Sishuba is a youth international for Belgium, having played three games with the under-18 for two goals by the summer 2023.<ref name="leq" /><ref name="wal"/>
==Personal life== Sishuba is the son of the South African footballer Asanda Sishuba.<ref name="nl"/>
==Career statistics== ===Club=== {{Updated|match played 19 May 2024}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="4"|Lens B |2021–22 |Championnat National 2 |7||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||7||0 |- |2022–23 |Championnat National 3 |18||9||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||18||9 |- |2023–24 |Championnat National 3 |11||3||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||11||3 |- !colspan="2"|Total !36!!12!!colspan="2"|—!!colspan="2"|—!!36!!12 |- |Lens |2023–24 |Ligue 1 |7||0||1||0||0||0||8||0 |- |Hellas Verona |2024–25 |Serie A |0||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||0||0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !43!!12!!1!!0!!0!!0!!44!!12 |}
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== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Soccerway|ayanda-sishuba/813553}}
{{Montpellier HSC squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sishuba, Ayanda}} Category:2005 births Category:Living people Category:Belgian people of South African descent Category:Sportspeople from Tournai Category:Belgian men's footballers Category:Belgium men's youth international footballers Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Championnat National 2 players Category:Championnat National 3 players Category:Ligue 1 players Category:Ligue 2 players Category:RC Lens players Category:Hellas Verona FC players Category:Stade Rennais FC players Category:Montpellier HSC players Category:Belgian expatriate men's footballers Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in France Category:Belgian expatriate sportspeople in Italy Category:Expatriate men's footballers in France Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Italy Category:21st-century Belgian sportsmen