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Ibra Sekajja talking goals ahead of Algeria match
What you need to know:
- Sekajja, who has also played for English side Crystal Palace among a host of several others, has scored five goals in 16 appearances for Dulwich Hamlet this season.
Ibra Sekajja lightly laughed it off when suggested that he was related to the more famous Sekagya. The 29-year-old, whose relation to the New York Red Bulls coach is them both being Ugandans, immediately focused the discussion to the immediate task at hand.
“It’s been a long time coming and I’m looking forward to representing Uganda,” said Sekajja, the lower division side, Dulwich Hamlet, striker, after a training session with the Cranes in Kampala yesterday.
What Ugandans can expect from Sekajja, one of four England based players summoned to to prepare for June Afcon qualifying matches against Algeria and Niger, is clear.
“Goals,” he declared confidently, “I’ve come to do my best and score goals and win games. That’s it.
“My job is quite simple,” he added, for clarity, “It’s a privilege to be given the opportunity and I’ll do my best to score goals and help the team win.”
Hamlet appearance
Sekajja, who has also played for English side Crystal Palace among a host of several others, has scored five goals in 16 appearances for Dulwich Hamlet this season.
The striker admits Algeria are the big boys of the group that also includes Niger and Tanzania, but is confident Uganda will progress. “The games will be tough but are winnable,” he said, “Even a draw in Algeria will be good. It’s good we are starting against Algeria, they will give us a clear picture of where we stand.”
This is not the first time Sekajja is being called to the national team, although something either always came up when an opportunity presented itself or he was simply ignored. Sekajja explains that representing Uganda has taken long because of “different coaches. A number of things came up in the past... There were also issues with traveling and stuff.
“But ultimately, it’s been down to coaches. Coaches have different systems and styles of football” and therefore call different players to suit their project.
Sekajja believes he will not struggle to adapt to African football since he has played in all “seven leagues in England.”
Elsewhere, Somalia or Tanzania stand in the way of Uganda’s sixth straight Africa Nations Championship finals due in Algeria next January. The Cranes got a bye from the first round during the draws held in Cairo yesterday.
SEKAJJA FACTFILE
Name: Ibra Sekajja
DOB: Oct 31, 1992 (29)
Citizenship: Ugandan/British
Height: 1,80 m
Position: Centre-forward
Current club: Dulwich Hamlet
Joined: Jan 18, 2022
Former clubs
Crystal Palace, Kettering Town (loan), Bromley (loan), Milton Keynes Dons (loan), Barnet (loan), Inverness CT, Livingston, Braintree Town, Hempstead Town, Bognor Regis Town, Havant & Waterlooville, Gosport Borough, Maidenhead United
National League South 21/22 - Statistics
Appearances: 16
Goals: 5
QUALIFYING FIXTURES
June 4: Algeria vs. Uganda
June 8: Uganda vs. Niger
