Irakoze Donasiyano

Irakoze Donasiyano
Personal information
Date of birth	3 February 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth	Kigoma Region, Tanzania
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s)	Winger, midfielder, fullback
Team information
Current team	Oakland Roots
Number	8
Youth career
	Roanoke Star SC
College career
Years	Team
2017–2020	Virginia Cavaliers
Senior career*
Years	Team
2019	Daytona Rush
2021–2022	Nashville SC
2021	→ OKC Energy (loan)
2022	→ Phoenix Rising (loan)
2023–	Oakland Roots
International career‡
2022–	Burundi
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 October 2023; ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 06:28, 20 November 2022 (UTC)

Irakoze Donasiyano (born 3 February 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Oakland Roots in the USL Championship. Born in Tanzania, he plays for the Burundi national team.

Career

Youth

Donasiyano played soccer at Patrick Henry High School, scoring 65 goals and tallying 30 assists in 69 games. During his high school career, he was a three-time First Team All-Conference selection, earned back-to-back All-Region and All-State honors in 2016 and 2017, and was named the 2017 Conference 16 and 5A North Region Player of the Year.^[1] He also played club soccer with local side Roanoke Star Soccer Club.^[2]

College & Amateur

In 2017, Donasiyano attended the University of Virginia to play college soccer. In four seasons with the Cavaliers, included a truncated 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Donasiyano made 65 appearances, scoring 5 goals and tallying 8 assists. In 2019, he was named a Third Team All-ACC selection.^[1] During his time at college, he played in multiple positions, including as a winger, central midfielder, and as either a fullback or wingback.^[3]

Whilst at college, Donasiyano also appeared for USL League Two side Daytona Rush SC during their 2019 season, scoring 2 goals in 8 regular season games.^[4]

Professional

On 21 January 2021, Donasiyano was selected 20th overall in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft by Nashville SC.^[5] He officially signed with the MLS club on 28 April.^[6]

Donasiyano made his professional debut on June 18, 2021, appearing as a 63rd-minute substitute during a 2–0 loss at New York Red Bulls.^[7]

On 14 August 2021, Donasiyano joined USL Championship side OKC Energy on loan for the remainder of the season.^[8]

Donasiyano was loaned to Phoenix Rising FC on 3 June 2022.^[9]

Following the 2022 season, his contract option was declined by Nashville.^[10] Donasiyano signed with USL Championship side Oakland Roots on 31 January 2023.^[11]

International career

Donasiyano is of Burundian descent, and was called up to the Burundi national team for a set of friendlies in November 2022.^[12] He debuted with them in a friendly 4–0 loss to Ivory Coast on 16 November 2022.^[13]

Personal

Born to a Burundian family in Muyovozi refugee camp in Tanzania’s Kigoma Region, Donasiyano immigrated with his family from Tanzania to the United States in 2007. He became a United States citizen in January 2020.^[1]