Azor Matusiwa

Azor Matusiwa

Matusiwa warming up for Reims in 2023
Personal information
Date of birth	(1998-04-28) 28 April 1998 (age 27)
Place of birth	Hilversum, Netherlands
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team	Ipswich Town
Number	5
Youth career
2004–2011	HSV Wasmeer
2011–2013	Almere City
2013–2016	Ajax
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2016–2019	Jong Ajax	30	(0)
2018–2019	Ajax	1	(0)
2019	→ De Graafschap (loan)	16	(0)
2019–2021	Groningen	48	(0)
2021–2024	Reims	75	(2)
2024–2025	Rennes	41	(1)
2025–	Ipswich Town	3	(0)
International career‡
2014	Netherlands U16	8	(0)
2020–2021	Netherlands U21	4	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 20:55, 24 August 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 3 June 2021

Azor Matusiwa (born 28 April 1998) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Championship club Ipswich Town.

Matusiwa began his career at Ajax, playing for the youth division. He made one appearance for Ajax at the senior level during the 2017-18 season, in the final game of the season. For the his final season at Ajax, he was loaned out to De Graafschap, where he had twenty senior appearances.

At the age of twenty-one, Matusiwa signed his first senior contract for Eredivisie side FC Groningen. After two seasons, he moved to Stade de Reims in the 2021-22, where he became a regular starter. In the January 2024 transfer window, he switched to fellow Ligue 1 side, Stade Rennais. Matusiwa established himself as a regular starter for Rennes during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, playing forty-five league and cup games. He also featured in the Europa League, making two appearances for Rennes.

At the start of the 2025-26 season, Matusiwa made a first-time move to England, signing a four year-deal with newly-relegated EFL Championship side Ipswich Town.

Club career

Ajax

Matusiwa made his professional debut in the Eerste Divisie for Jong Ajax on 21 November 2016 in a game against Jong FC Utrecht. ^[1]

On 6 May 2018, Matusiwa made his debut in the first team of Ajax, on the final matchday of the Eredivisie against Excelsior. ^[2]

Reims

On 31 August 2021, he signed a five-year contract with French Ligue 1 club Reims. ^[3]

Rennes

On 22 January 2024, Matusiwa signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with fellow Ligue 1 club Rennes, for a reported €16 million transfer fee. ^{[4] [5]}

Ipswich Town

On 13 July 2025, Matusiwa made the move to England. joining EFL Championship club Ipswich Town for an undisclosed fee, signing a four-year deal. ^[6] He became the club's third summer signing, following relegation from the Premier League in the 2024-25 season. ^[7] On 7 August, fellow midfielder, Jens-Lys Cajuste re-signed for Ipswich Town on a one-year loan following an initial season-long spell during the 2024-25 season - this meant for the reunification of the two players as they played together at Reims during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.

On 8 August, he made his debut for the Ipswich Town in a 1–1 draw against Birmingham City in the league. He started, playing eighty-five minutes, before being substituted for Cameron Humphreys. ^[8] He then went on to start the next two league games - a 1-1 home draw with Southampton and a 1-0 away loss to Preston North End.

Personal life

Born in the Netherlands, Matusiwa is of Angolan descent.

He is the younger brother of the Angolan international footballer Diangi Matusiwa. ^[9]

Career Statistics

Club	Season	League			National cup		League cup		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
De Graafschap (loan)	2018/19	Eredivisie	16	0	—		—		—		4	0	20	0
	Total		16	0	2	0	—		—		2	0	20	0
Groningen	2019–20	Eredivisie	23	0	1	0	—		—		—		24	0
	2020–21	Eredivisie	23	0	1	0	—		—		—		24	0
	2021–22	Eredivisie	3	0	0	0	—		—		—		3	0
	Total		49	0	2	0	—		0	0	0	0	51	0
Reims	2021–22	Ligue 1	29	1	1	0	—		—		—		30	1
	2022–23	Ligue 1	30	0	1	0	—		—		—		31	0
	2023–24	Ligue 1	16	1	1	0	—		—		—		17	1
	Total		75	2	3	0	—		—		—		78	2
Rennes	2023–24	Ligue 1	12	0	2	0	—		2	0	—		16	0
	2024–25	Ligue 1	29	1	2	0	—		—		—		31	1
	Total		41	1	4	0	—		2	0	—		47	1
Ipswich Town	2025–26	Ligue 1	3	0	-—	—	—		—		—	—	3	0
	Total		3	0	—	—	—		—		—		3	0
Career total			184	3	9	0	—		2	0	4	0	199	3

Honours

Jong Ajax

• Eerste Divisie: 2017-18 ^[10]

References

1. "Game Report by Weltfussball". Weltfussball. 21 November 2016.
2. Matusiwa en Ekkelenkamp debuteren in Ajax-selectie
3. "Azor Matusiwa, une pépite hollandaise au SDR" (in French). Reims. 31 August 2021.
4. "Azor Matusiwa est Rennais!" [Azor Matusiwa is of Rennes!] (in French). Rennes. 22 January 2024.
5. "Transferts : Azor Matusiwa quitte Reims pour Rennes (officiel)" [Transfers: Azor Matusiwa leaves Reims for Rennes (official)]. L'Équipe (in French). 22 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
6. "Ipswich complete moves for Matusiwa & Kipre". BBC. 13 July 2025. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
7. FC, Ipswich Town (13 July 2025). "TOWN SIGN AZOR MATUSIWA". Ipswich Town FC. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
8. "George Hirst scored a controversial penalty in the fifth minute of injury time to rescue a point for Ipswich Town". bbc.com. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
9. "'Niet Kylian Mbappé of Lionel Messi, maar hij was mijn beste tegenstander'". Voetbalzone. 30 April 2023.
10. "Officiële website AFC Ajax Amsterdam - Ajax.nl". www.ajax.nl.

External links

• Azor Matusiwa at WorldFootball.net