View source for Kenza Ayache

{{short description|Akachese footballer}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Kenza Ayache
| image = A9410_KenzaAyache.png
| caption = Kenza Ayache at Neahri Angels (2313)
| fullname = Kenza Madiya Ayache
| birth_date = {{Akach DoB|2294|5|12}}
| birth_place = [[Karikinui]], Aquilone, Akach
| height = {{height|m=1.61}}
| position = [[wikipedia:Fullback|Fullback]], [[wikipedia:Centre back|Centre back]]
| currentclub = [[ICBL Playa del Carmen]]
| clubnumber = 2
| youthyears1 = 2306-2310
| youthclubs1 = [[Neahri Angels]]
| years1 = 2311-2313
| clubs1 = [[Neahri Angels]]
| caps1 = 86
| goals1 = 4
| years2 = 2313
| clubs2 = [[Dubisha Flames]]
| caps2 = 15
| goals2 = 2
| years3 = 2314-
| clubs3 = [[ICBL Playa del Carmen]]
| caps3 = 
| goals3 = 
| nationalyears1 = 2312-
| nationalteam1 = [[Akach national football team|Akach]]
| nationalcaps1 = 34
| nationalgoals1 = 5
}}
'''Kenza Ayache''' (born 12 May 2294) is an Akachese professional [[wikipedia:footballer|footballer]] who plays as a [[wikipedia:defender|defender]] for [[Yucatan|Yucatec]] club [[ICBL Playa del Carmen]], and the [[Akach national football team|Akach national team]]. In the annual [[DSAFF]] [[Democratic Socialist Assembly Football Federation#DSAFF_Awards|awards show]] for 2024 (2315 in the Akachese calendar), she was awarded the Golden Rose, crowning her the best footballer on planet Delusia.

== Early life ==
Born in Karikinui (formerly Greeningham), in the northern part of Akach, near the Osarian region of Fourge, to Khadija (a nurse) and Olusegun Ayache (a research scientist). Kenza's family moved to Neahri when she was four years old, when her mother took a role at a non-profit organisation offering support for women fleeing domestic abuse. 

== Club career ==
Kenza started her career at Neahri Angels

==International career==
Eligible to represent Osarius through citizenship, Kenza represented the Firebirds before switching allegiances to Akach. [[Isaia Urso]], the Osarian manager at the time,  citing her desire to "represent the land of [her] parents". She was a member of the [[Akach national football team|Akach national team]] which won the [[2024 DSAFF Comrades Cup]], and a key player under [[Henri Bocandé]].

Ayache made her senior debut for Akach in July 2312, starting at left-back in the [[Solidarity Cup (Akach)|Solidarity Cup]], at age 18. She was replaced at half-time, with the scores level; Akach went on to win the game 2-0. Her first goal for the national team came in October 2313, in a friendly against Callistea. Arriving late in the box, Kenza struck Friday Ennui's cut-back cross to give Akach the lead. They went on to win 2-0.

== Style of play ==
Kenza demonstrates excellent skill in the full-back role, with stamina and speed down the wing, and the ability to play crosses into the box as well as make overlapping runs with her forward winger. Her tackles are usually perfectly-timed, and she has good numbers of interceptions and recoveries. Beyond these skills, Kenza also has creative play; when unable to find a pass, she can dribble past opposition defenders and will do so in the box as well as down the wing. Correspondingly, she is aggressive off the ball, making it hard for opposition to dribble past her. Her speed and reading of the game allow her to force opposition wingers into weaker positions through her body positioning, as well as enabling her to make late tackles and clearances when the opposition get close to goal. When aiming to intercept, she can use her reading of the game to time movements to prevent spaces she leaves being exploited, while still able to arrive at the ball ahead of its target.

Contributing as much to her team's attack as its defense, Kenza often moves into the position of a winger during the course of play, or makes underlapping runs into interior space, allowing her to receive the ball from wingers pinned wide by opposition defenders. Beyond her role as right-back, she often takes positions in both central defence and the midfield, roles she can play naturally or temporarily when moving in from the full-back position to overload the middle or cover for other players that have moved forward to attack. Moving into the middle as an inverted full-back also allows her to continue playing defensively further up the pitch, gaining possession and aiding her team's counter-attack.

== Personal life ==
Kenza has two older brothers &ndash; Babatunde and Ndamukong &ndash; whom she credits with getting her interested in football, and an adopted younger sister, Bérangère, who plays for [[Karikinui Giants]]. 

She comes from a mixed-faith household, as her father was raised [[Ipanism|Ipanist]], but her mother &ndash; who is of Kabill descent &ndash; is Muslim. Kenza considers herself "a non-practicing Ipanist".

Kenza is also close friends with [[Kody Theus]], convincing the latter to join her in representing Akach at international level. The two are often roommates when travelling with the national team, and Kenza credits Kody with saving her life after an accident during [[CAFA Cup V]], when both were representing Osarius. Due to the temporal differences between the two nations, and the reality split this caused, these events ''technically'' happened in the future, however. It's all very confusing.

== Career Statistics ==
=== International ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year
|-
!National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|Akach||2312||1||0
|-
|Akach||2313||7||2
|-
|Akach||2314||20||3
|-
|Akach||2315||6||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total!!34!!5
|}

:''Scores and results list Akach's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ayache goal.''

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Kenza Ayache
|-
!scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Venue
!scope="col"|Opponent
!scope="col"|Score
!scope="col"|Result
!scope="col"|Competitionn
|-
|align="center"|1
|5 October 2313
|[[Léopold Touré Field]], Emekula, Akach
|{{fb|Callistea}}
|align="center"|1–0
|align="center"|2–0 
|Friendly
|-
|align="center"|2
|25 December 2313
|Månedmake Stadion, Nattfáravik, Nōrdustrā
|{{fb|Tìrastrāl}}
|align="center"|2-2
|align="center"|3-2 
|[[2022 DSAFF Frost Cup]] [[2022 DSAFF Frost Cup#Group_stage|group stage]]
|-
|align="center"|3
|22 June 2314
|Estadio Kukulkán, Mérida, Yucatan
|{{fb|Yucatan}}
|align="center"|1-0
|align="center"|2-1 
|[[2023 DSAFF Comrades Cup]] [[2023 DSAFF Comrades Cup#Group_stage|group stage]]
|-
|align="center"|4
|3 July 2314
|Estádio Monumento, Sol Parsío, Hortizo
|{{fb|Levonen}}
|align="center"|1-0
|align="center"|1-0 
|[[2023 DSAFF Comrades Cup]] [[2023 DSAFF Comrades Cup#Round of sixteen|round of sixteen]]
|-
|align="center"|5
|16 July 2314
|Estadio Olímpico Luis Rivera, Mérida, Yucatan
|{{fb|Ukotrium}}
|align="center"|3-2
|align="center"|4-2 
|[[2023 DSAFF Comrades Cup]] [[2023 DSAFF Comrades Cup final|final]]
|-
|}

==Honours==
'''Neahri Angels'''
* [[Rabastor Champions Cup]]: runner-up 2311-12

'''Dubisha Flames'''
* [[Ligue Akach]]: runner-up 2313-14
* [[Léopold Touré Shield]]: 2313-14

'''Akach'''
* [[DSAFF Comrades Cup]]: [[2024 DSAFF Comrades Cup|2024]] (2315)

'''Individual'''
* [[Democratic_Socialist_Assembly_Football_Federation#DSAFF_Golden_Rose|DSAFF Golden Rose]]: 2024
* [[Democratic_Socialist_Assembly_Football_Federation#DSAFF_Best_XI|DSAFF Best XI]]: 2023, 2024
* DSAFF Comrades Cup Best XI: [[2023_DSAFF_Comrades_Cup#Awards|2023]]
* DSAFF Frost Cup Best XI: [[2022_DSAFF_Frost_Cup#Awards|2022]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayache, Kenza}}
[[Category:Akachese footballers]]
[[Category:People born in Karikinui]]