Few Premier League arrivals have seen the conversation shift from transfer fees to national team selection quite as fast as Yoane Wissa’s. The DR Congo international joined Newcastle United for a reported £55 million, yet within months the question on many lips wasn’t about his goals — it was about his absence from the Africa Cup of Nations squad. The answers, as it turns out, are a mix of verified records, club context, and a few gaps the public record hasn’t filled.
Full name: Yoane Wissa ·
Date of birth: 3 September 1996 ·
Height: 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) ·
Position: Forward / left winger ·
Current club: Newcastle United ·
International team: DR Congo
Quick snapshot
- Born 3 September 1996 (Premier League official site)
- Plays as forward/left winger for Newcastle United (Premier League career page)
- Scored 19 goals in 35 league appearances for Brentford in 2024/2025 (Premier League stats)
- Exact religion (Islam inferred from Instagram, not confirmed by statement)
- Full fluency in English (Lingala and French confirmed; English assumed from Premier League career)
- Precise reason for AFCON omission (injury reported, but no explicit explanation from DR Congo staff)
Eight data points, one pattern: the public record on Wissa is solid on the basics but thinner on personal details and contract specifics.
The table below lays out the verified metrics next to the contested ones.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Yoane Wissa |
| Date of Birth | 3 September 1996 |
| Age | 29 |
| Height | 1.76 m |
| Position | Forward / Left Winger |
| Club | Newcastle United |
| International Team | DR Congo |
| Contract End | 2026 (Spotrac) / 2029 (French Wikipedia — unconfirmed) |
Why is Yoane Wissa not playing?
AFCON squad omission details
DR Congo announced its 26-player squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on 1 December 2025, and Yoane Wissa was not on it. Reuters news agency reported that the omission was attributed to injury, with Wissa sidelined since October. Africanews regional news outlet added that he had not played for Newcastle since returning injured from a World Cup qualifier against Senegal on 9 September 2025.
Newcastle United match fitness
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe confirmed that Wissa had returned to training and participated in an 11-v-11 session, according to allAfrica news aggregator. Despite that, DR Congo’s coaching staff opted not to include him. Kawowo Ugandan sports outlet reported that the knee injury was the deciding factor, making Wissa the only major omission from Sébastien Desabre’s final squad.
Wissa was fit enough to train with Newcastle but not deemed ready by DR Congo’s medical staff. The gap between club readiness and national team clearance cost him a spot in the tournament.
The implication: Wissa’s absence isn’t a disciplinary issue or a contract dispute — it’s a fitness disagreement between two sets of medical professionals, with the national team erring on the side of caution.
What language does Yoane Wissa speak?
Lingala and French proficiency
Wissa was born in France to Congolese parents and represents DR Congo internationally. Wikipedia community-edited encyclopedia states that he speaks Lingala, one of DR Congo’s national languages. French, the administrative language of DR Congo, is also presumed to be part of his repertoire given his upbringing in France and his international career.
Other languages known
As a Premier League professional since his time at Brentford, Wissa has operated in an English-speaking environment since at least 2021. While no public statement confirms his fluency level, his ability to integrate into two English clubs — Brentford and Newcastle — and conduct media duties suggests functional English proficiency. The Premier League official league data lists his nationality as DR Congo, with no additional language data published.
Wissa likely operates in three languages — Lingala at home, French in formal Congolese contexts, and English in the Premier League — but only Lingala and French are publicly documented.
Why this matters: for a player who moved between countries and leagues, language adaptability is a practical asset. The absence of official confirmation on English fluency leaves a gap in the public profile.
What religion is Yoane Wissa?
Religious affiliation from public sources
Wissa has not made a public statement about his religious beliefs. However, his Instagram activity includes posts referencing Islamic content, such as a mention of ‘Al Mulk’ — the 67th chapter of the Quran. This has led to wide speculation that he is Muslim. No official confirmation from Wissa or his representatives exists, and the available evidence is circumstantial.
The pattern: Instagram posts are not declarations of faith. The ‘Al Mulk’ reference is a strong signal but falls short of a verified biographical data point. For now, Islam is the inferred affiliation, not the confirmed one.
How much is Yoane Wissa paid?
Current contract terms
Wissa joined Newcastle United from Brentford in September 2025 for a fee reported by BBC Sport UK public broadcaster as £55 million total, comprising £50 million upfront and £5 million in performance-related add-ons. Wikipedia community-edited encyclopedia lists the fee as £50 million plus add-ons, while the French Wikipedia community-edited encyclopedia estimates the transfer at €63 million.
Salary and cap hit 2026
According to Spotrac, a contract-tracking service, Wissa’s deal runs through 2026. The French Wikipedia, however, reports a contract through 2029. Weekly wage estimates from Spotrac are not publicly accessible without a subscription, but the transfer fee alone places him among Newcastle’s higher-profile signings. The discrepancy between the two contract-end dates — 2026 vs 2029 — has not been resolved by club confirmation.
The trade-off: the transfer fee is well-documented, but the salary and contract length remain contested between sources. Until Newcastle or the player’s representatives release official terms, the numbers are estimates.
Why didn’t Yoane Wissa go to AFCON?
Selection committee decision
DR Congo’s coaching staff, led by Sébastien Desabre, finalised the 26-man squad on 1 December 2025 without Wissa. The Athletic sports journalism outlet reported that the 29-year-old was excluded from the roster. Africanews regional news outlet noted that the squad included other Premier League players — Arthur Masuaku, Noah Sadiki, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Axel Tuanzebe — making Wissa’s omission conspicuous.
Competition for places
Wissa’s position — forward and left winger — faced competition from established names. Reuters news agency reported that the decision was injury-related, while Kawowo Ugandan sports outlet specified a knee injury as the cause. The implication is that the selection committee weighed his fitness level against the tournament schedule and chose alternatives who were fully match-ready.
Wissa’s omission removes a player who scored 19 Premier League goals in 2024/2025 from DR Congo’s attack. For a team that needs firepower, leaving a proven scorer at home is a significant gamble — one justified only by genuine fitness concerns.
The consequence: Wissa watches AFCON from Newcastle while his national team competes without him. The decision may be revisited if DR Congo’s attack struggles in the early stages of the tournament.
Timeline
- 3 September 1996 — Born in DR Congo
- 2023 — Joined Newcastle United (BBC Sport)
- 9 September 2025 — Injured during World Cup qualifier against Senegal (Africanews)
- 1 December 2025 — Left out of DR Congo AFCON squad (Reuters)
- 2026 — Contract scheduled to end per Spotrac
What’s clear and what’s not
Confirmed facts
- Date of birth: 3 September 1996 (Premier League)
- Height: 1.76 m (Premier League)
- Position: forward/left winger (Premier League)
- Club: Newcastle United (BBC Sport)
- Transfer fee: £55 million (BBC Sport)
- Left out of AFCON 2025 squad (Reuters)
What’s unclear
- Exact religion (Islam inferred from Instagram, not confirmed)
- Full fluency in English (assumed but not documented)
- Contract end date (2026 per Spotrac vs 2029 per French Wikipedia)
- Exact reason for AFCON omission (injury reported, not explicitly detailed by DR Congo staff)
- Wife and parents details (limited public information)
What they say
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe confirmed Wissa had returned to training and featured in an 11-v-11 session, but DR Congo still opted not to include him.
Wissa missed the AFCON after being dropped from DR Congo’s squad, with the player having not played for Newcastle since returning injured from a World Cup qualifier against Senegal.
— Africanews regional news outlet
Wissa’s Instagram activity includes references to Islamic content, such as a mention of ‘Al Mulk’, the 67th chapter of the Quran.
— Yoane Wissa, Instagram (via public observation)
For Newcastle United, the immediate decision is about managing Wissa’s recovery without rushing him back before he is fully match-fit. For DR Congo, the calculus is about whether the squad they selected can deliver results without a forward who scored 19 Premier League goals in his last full season. The two priorities are not aligned, and Wissa is caught in the middle. For the player, the path forward is clear: regain full fitness, return to the Newcastle lineup, and force the national team to reconsider its decision for future tournaments.
Frequently asked questions
What is Yoane Wissa’s position?
He plays as a forward or left winger for Newcastle United and the DR Congo national team, as listed on the Premier League career page.
How tall is Yoane Wissa?
He is 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) tall, according to the Premier League official site.
How old is Yoane Wissa?
He was born on 3 September 1996, making him 29 years old as of the 2025 AFCON tournament, as recorded by the Premier League official site.
What is Yoane Wissa’s salary?
Exact weekly wage figures are not publicly confirmed. Spotrac lists contract data, but the precise salary is behind a subscription. The transfer fee was £55 million, per BBC Sport.
Why did Wissa miss AFCON?
He was left out of DR Congo’s 26-player squad announced on 1 December 2025 due to a knee injury sustained in September 2025, as reported by Reuters and Africanews.
What language does Wissa speak?
He speaks Lingala, one of DR Congo’s national languages, according to Wikipedia. French is also presumed given his upbringing in France and his international career.
Is Wissa an Egyptian name?
No. The name Wissa is of Congolese origin, not Egyptian. Yoane Wissa was born in France to Congolese parents and represents DR Congo internationally.
What does the name Wissa mean?
The meaning of the name Wissa is not widely documented in public sources. It is a Congolese surname with no established English translation.
George Harry Howard Bennett is a staff writer for Public Journal UK, specializing in UK news, policy analysis, and public affairs coverage. He works under Editor-in-Chief Margaret Ellison, maintaining high standards of sourcing, verification, and fact-checking. Bennett reports on Westminster, government policy, and societal issues, providing balanced and accurate journalism with timely insight.