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Kasule joined Turkish Second League side Ankara during the January transfer window for an undisclosed fee, despite holding a prior pre-contract agreement with Redbull, it is claimed.
Ibrahim Kasule could potentially be at the centre of a legal battle involving clubs New York Red bulls and Ankara Keçiörengücü over his ongoing transfer saga.
Kasule joined Turkish Second League side Ankara during the January transfer window for an undisclosed fee, despite holding a prior pre-contract agreement with Redbull, it is claimed.
Ankara is understood to be exploring the potential of filing a formal complaint with the Federation of International Football Association’s (FIFA) dispute resolution chamber to claim damages and breaches to transfer regulations from the US based side.
It is alleged that Kasule has now travelled to New York after he mysteriously disappeared from Ankara’s training complex last week.
“This is wrong, we cannot do business like this,” Ankara technical director Taner Taşkın angrily laments in a leaked audio with player agent Ibrahim Ssekagya who brokered the move to the player.
“We have only heard that Ibrahim (Kasule) is now in the USA looking to complete a move. But he is our player, and we have not sanctioned such a move.”
“How possible is it that he travelled without our knowledge?” Taskin ponders, adding; “They (New York) are only distracting the boy, and we are going to forward this issue to FIFA.”
On Saturday last week, Pulse Sports published details of the transfer saga for the 18-year-old, which started in November 2022, when Ibrahim Ssekagya contacted his club, Wakiso Giants after scouting the player.
As the two clubs worked around a move to the United States, there were documents said to be contracts signed between the two clubs in order to aid the process of applying for US visas.
The said pre-contracts were signed by Wakiso Giants director Musa Ssebulime alias Atagenda who signed both on behalf of the club and the player who was kept in the know of proceedings in December 2022.
Additionally, Atagenda and former Uganda Cranes captain – currently head coach at New York Redbull II – Ibrahim Ssekagya agreed to include a fee of UGX 15000 as a formality.
Wakiso Giants indeed agree that they signed documents with New York Red bulls, but that was only for the purpose of visa application, and that they were not formal and that is why they were not filed with Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA).
“When Ssekagya returned to the States, he told me that they need a working visa,” Atagenda said.
“He said to get such paperwork completed, there must be contracts they sign as proof that they already have a job in the States not going to search for one instead.”
“So, he told me that he will draft dummy contacts – just for Visa purposes. He sent them to us, we signed and we sent them back.”
However, before the move to New York could be finalized, a deal to have the player surfaced through the United Kingdom based agent and former player Ibrah Ssekagya.
Wakiso Giants then jumped ship and allowed negotiations to continue between them and Ankara, agreeing a fee and also formally applying to FUFA to process an International Transfer.
“When the Ankara deal surfaced, we had to weigh in as a club. Remember, even this new one, no money was involved,” Atagenda explained.
“But it looked more direct and guaranteed. I personally talked to Kasule about the new offer and the player was also excited saying that he would prefer Europe.”
“Truth is that the Turkish League is better than MLS, football wise. And the other thing is that Ankara presented better offers than Red Bull.
“As a businessman, I weighed in and opted for the Turkish deal as well. So, they sent us the visas to Turkey, and we went there together with Ssekagya and Kasule to the club based in Antaria.”
“Kasule was given a 3-and-half year contract. But the foreign slots at the club were already occupied, but he was registered under the club’s development side,” he continued.
It is understood that Ankara officially registered Kasule as their player and also holds the players’ official clearance from local football Association FUFA through the Transfer matching System (TMS).
Therefore, any further moves that are not sanctioned by Ankara can be nullified, or New York should approach the Turkish side to complete a deal.
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