Sekagya follows Beckham, Henry route to retirement
Sekagya trains with Cranes before quitting the team in 2012. Photo by Eddie Chicco.
What you need to know:
If the deal goes through, the former State House, KCC and Arsenal de Serandi star will join Markus Schopp, Ernst Öbster and Brian Nielsen as players to have signed from New York Red Bulls’ sister club, Salzburg.
Ibrahim Sekagya could join a cast of world stars to have earned American dollars in the Major League Soccer (MLS) en route to retirement.
The Red Bull Salzburg defender touched down at the Austrian outfit sister club, the New York Red Bulls, early this week as he dared an American dream.
In his 30s, Sekagya is probably looking at experiencing the US topflight league for his remaining years of an impressive footballing career.
This is the same route taken by former LA Galaxy superstar David Beckham, who quit after a brief spell at PSG, on his way to retirement this year, and Thierry Henry, who could be celebrating goals with Uganda Cranes ex-captain should his trials with the New York outfit go through. With Red Bulls coach Mike Petke already praising Sekagya’s versatility of playing “anywhere along the back four,” and that after just one day of training, the defender could count his chances.
“Obviously if anyone comes over and trains with us and impresses us, (and) we feel they can be good, we try to make things happen,’’ he told New York Post on Wednesday.
“No time frame (duration of trials). It’s his first day here. He’s in good shape, so it’s not like we have to wait and see how good of a shape he’s in.
“He’s coming off a season and it’s just options to have. Of course there’s things like (the) salary cap but we’re happy just to have him in and see what he can do.’’ If the deal goes through, the former State House, KCC and Arsenal de Serandi star will join Markus Schopp, Ernst Öbster and Brian Nielsen as players to have signed from their sister club, Salzburg. Sekagya retired from Cranes in 2012.
Elsewhere, URA bowed out of the Cecafa Kagame Cup yesterday after losing 3-2 to Rwanda’s Rayon Sports in the quarterfinals yesterday. Uganda’s other side Express were also eliminated.
