‘It’s been a long road’ – Yoane Wissa reacts to Newcastle United debut

DR Congo international Yoane Wissa was delighted to make his long awaited debut for Newcastle United in the Premier League.

Wissa joined Newcastle from Brentford in September but just over a week later sustained on posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury on international duty with the Leopards.

However, after several months in the sidelines, Wissa finally played for Newcastle during their 2-1 Premier League win over Burnley at St James’ Park on Saturday. Wissa came on as a substitute in the 75th minute against Burnley, replacing Nick Woltemade, to a warm reception from the home fans.

‘It’s been a long road but I’m happy in the end’

“It’s been a long time. The last 11 weeks, I’ve learned about the team and the players. It’s been a long road but I’m happy in the end. It gave my goosebumps [for his name to be read out when he came on]. I’m buzzing now,” Wissa told BBC Match of the Day as quoted by the club’s website.

“It can be an excellent season because we have so many quality players.”

His return to action comes at a time when DR Congo is preparing to participate in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from December. Already coach Sébastien Desabre has unveiled his 26-player squad, reinforcing his commitment to stability and form as the Leopards prepare for one of the continent’s biggest football stages.

The Leopards squad includes several players who helped the side secure a place in the playoffs for the 2026 World Cup. Captain Chancel Mbemba is in the squad alongside other key players Axel Tuanzebe, Noah Sadiki, Fiston Mayele, Meschak Elia and Cédric Bakambu.

The Leopards will kick off their group stage campaign on December 23 against Benin, followed by a highly anticipated clash with Senegal on December 27.

They will conclude their first-round fixtures on December 30 against Botswana, a match expected to determine their final group position.

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