Uganda's Ibrahim Sekagya earns promotion to first team assistant at New York Red bulls

Former Uganda national team defender Ibrahim Sekagya continues to progress up the coaching ranks at Major League Soccer club New York Red Bulls, with the club announcing Sekagya's promotion to a full-time assistant role with the first team this week.

The 44-year-old was previously the head coach for the reserve team, New York Red Bulls II, where he spent over ten years. Sekagya started his tenure with over seven years as an assistant with Red Bulls II before being promoted to the head coaching role, initially as an interim head coach before later on being named to the position on a permanent basis.

Sekagya paved the way for talented young Ugandans to receive opportunities in MLS, vouching for Ugandan talent. Steven Sserwadda, Ibrahim Kasule and Frank Ssebuufu all played under Sekagya with New York Red Bulls II and recent New England Revolution signing Allan Oyirwoth mentioned advice he received from Sekagya in an interview with Pan-Africa Football.

Sekagya enjoyed a prolific career as a player, beginning his career at Kampala giants KCCA FC before moving abroad with time spent in Argentina and at Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg before finishing his career in the Red Bull family at New York Red Bulls until his retirement in 2014.

He also was captain of the Uganda national team, the Cranes, featuring extensively during qualifying campaigns for the 2006 and 2010 editions of the FIFA World Cup. Sekagya will lead Red Bulls II as the head coach for the last time on June 15 in their MLS Next Pro match against Chattanooga FC before assuming his new duties with the first team.