Former Uganda Cranes Captain Ibrahim Sekagya has taken over as the head coach of American side New York Red Bulls II ahead of their inaugural season in the Major League Soccer (MLS) Next Pro.In an official statement released on Tuesday, Bulls confirmed Sekagya will be the third Head Coach in Red Bulls II history after spending eight seasons as an Assistant Coach.”Ibrahim [Sekagya] has played a crucial role in the development of Red Bulls II in addition to his success as a player with the main club,” Sporting Director Denis Hamlett said. “We know he will continue his hard work and dedication to improve in every facet of the club.”NEWS: #NYRBII officially name Ibrahim Sekagya as head coach for the upcoming MLS NEXT Pro season.📰 | Link: https://t.co/AlP2jwyx4W pic.twitter.com/bli9rgdpWN— New York Red Bulls II (@NYRBII) February 6, 2023 Following his retirement as a player in 2015, Sekagya joined the Red Bulls II coaching staff for its inaugural season in USL that same year.After seven and a half seasons as an Assistant Coach, he was named the Interim Head Coach on July 3, 2022, and guided the team for the final 17 matches of the season.Congratulations Kapi @ISekagya 🎉 pic.twitter.com/G2l29o7Oaz— Uganda Cranes (@UgandaCranes) February 6, 2023 During his eight seasons with the club, Red Bulls II won 98 matches, qualified for the postseason five times, and won both the 2016 USL Cup and Regular Season Title.“I am thrilled to continue my journey with the New York Red Bulls organization and lead New York Red Bulls II to success. I cannot wait to get this season started and show all of the work that has been done this winter to put a well-balanced squad on the pitch,” Sekagya said.##NAJAVA_MECA_7007198##As a player, Sekagya’s most notable accomplishment came in 2007 when he joined Red Bull Salzburg where he guided the team to three Austrian Football Bundesliga titles before joining the New York Red Bulls in July 2013 where he spent two seasons with the club before announcing his retirement.Before joining Salzburg, Sekagya featured for several clubs both local and international including KCCA FC, and three Argentine clubs including Atlético de Rafaela, Ferro Carril Oeste, and Arsenal de Sarandí.Five promising Kenyan footballers whose talent risks going to wasteThe 41-year-old, who launched his career from the rutted fields of Kawempe at Equatorial Football club to Red Bull Salzburg, South American clubs, and ultimately the New York Red Bulls, is often regarded as one of Uganda’s most successful soccer exports alongside former teammate Denis Onyango.With a career that spanned over two decades, available statistics indicate that Sekagya had 35 international caps for the Uganda Cranes between 1999 and 2011, participating in CECAFA Championship, AFCON qualifiers as well as world cup qualifiers. He scored 3 international career goals before he retired from international football in 2012. Breaking the FGM taboo using sportsThe MLS Pro a professional men’s soccer league in the United States and Canada that completes the pro player pathway from MLS NEXT, the youth academies associated with MLS, through to MLS, the top U.S. domestic league.
