Moreover I guess he has last played for Kaizer Chiefs a year back. After that he was in a 8 months long trial in some Ugandan club. But was not selected (some say that he has rejected their offer).
I believe bukenya is more of a cut money signing. I am surprised that Gadzi is asking for more money then Belfort. Gadzi is playing in ISL for peanuts.
The Red and Gold have been bolstering their squad ahead of the new I-League season…
Kingfisher East Bengal FC have bolstered their squad for the upcoming I-League season commencing from the 7th of January next year. Amidst the race to qualify for the Indian Super League playoffs, East Bengal officials have been successful in finalising a few deals before the I-League begins.
Ugandan defender Ivan Bukenya arrived in Kolkata on Thursday morning. The former Kaizer Chiefs player touched down at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport from Dubai by an Emirates Airlines flight. The stout looking defender was dressed in white tees with a jacket. He was spotted wearing sunglasses as he came out of the airport amidst cheering East Bengal fans gathered there. The 6 ft 4 inches tall defender was escorted straight to his accommodation from the airport.
Ivan Bukenya arrives at the Kolkata airport today ahead of signing for East Bengal.
He will visit the club on Friday and meet the officials. The footballer will be practising under Goalkeeping Coach Abhijit Mondal and Academy Coach Ranjan Chowdhury at the club before giving a medical test in front of the team doctor tomorrow morning. If he passes the test then he will be the second foreign recruit of the club for the forthcoming I-League season.
British defender Calum Angus who plied his trade for the Kolkata giants in the Calcutta Football League and Bordoloi Trophy fell sick post the tournament in Assam and was released by the club as he went home without informing any of the officials. East Bengal were in search of a strong stopper to partner Arnab Mondal and Gurwinder Singh in the heart of the defense. They were in talks with Delhi Dynamos’ Anas Edathodika but negotiations were unsuccessful.
Fan of East Bengal FC ? Rate KEB 5 Star here- East Bengal FC
Coach Trevor Morgan was also in search of a foreigner centre-back from Africa and he found Bukenya from Uganda who had an impressive spell in the South African Premier Soccer League for Kaizer Chiefs. Bukenya has played for the Uganda national team in 8 matches from 2010. He began his professional club football career for Ugandan club Proline FC before heading to Iraq to play for Arbil FC in the Iraqi Premier League from 2011-13.
Bukenya helped his club to qualify for the AFC Cup in the 2012-13 season and helped them reach the Final where they finished runners-up. During that period, East Bengal were also playing in the AFC Cup and were in the same group with Arbil FC. Morgan was the coach of the Kolkata club then and he had a keen eye on the defender as he was marvellous for Arbil in the group stage match against East Bengal.
The Red and Gold officials wanted to sign him the very next season but could not as he was still contracted with the Iraqi club. During that AFC Cup Arbil conceded the least number of goals in the competition. In the next season he joined South African club Kaizer Chiefs on a two-year deal and then extended it by one more year playing 37 matches for them with some stupendous performances he earned the nickname the “Great wall of China” in the defensive line. The “Great Wall of China” has also played in the U-20 CECAF Championship for Uganda.
Meanwhile, star striker Balwant Singh is all set to don the Red and Gold jersey this season after recovering from his groin injury which he sustained playing for Mohun Bagan in the I-League last season and which kept him out of the remaining part of the season as well as the ISL. Balwant had helped both Churchill Brothers and Mohun Bagan to win the I-League as well as Federation Cup and had a huge transformation in his career graph from the 2013 season.
On the other hand, Haitian star forward Kervens Belfort who is playing for the Kerala Blasters in the ISL is set to be the third foreigner. He has played 10 games for the Sachin Tendulkar co-owned franchise scoring two goals and two assists and has been very impressive throughout the season. East Bengal are yet to find a replacement for Korean midfielder Do-Dong-Hyun who was released few days back. Coach Morgan and officials are in talks with a lot of Asian players and it is understood they have shortlisted two names, Croatian-Australian striker Mirjan Pavlovic and Japanese midfielder Kenta Uchida.
The news about Japanese medio Kenta Uchida was reported by Xtratime today...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenta_Uchida...It was said that Morgan has had a round of talks with him....didn't find any videos on the guy....also, has anyone any idea about how good the J.League 2 is (in comparison to the I-League, say)?
Our 25 year old sensation arrived yesterday....the next Uga Okpara?
Bukenya will sign for East Bengal tomorrow
Bukenya went to Esat Bengal club for his medical test on Friday. Image Source: XtraTime
Kolkata: East Bengal’s Ugandan defender Ivan Bukenya will leave Kolkata on Sunday. The former Kaizer Chiefs player came to Kolkata with a tourist visa to give his medical test for the Red & Gold brigade.
The AIFF has made a rule that without any business visa no one can play for any I-League side in the coming season. He will sign the contract with Kolkata giants tomorrow, which will be followed by a press-conference in the evening at East Bengal club.
The 6 ft 4 inches tall defender came to the club on Wedneday morning to give his medical test in presence of club Assistant Secretary Dr. Santiranjan Dasgupta. He went through various types of blood tests, ECG, Cardiogram etc. After the tests Dr. Dasgupta cleared him as medically fit.
East Bengal who has already signed Haitian international Wedson Anselme has strengthened their defence with Bukenya. The Red and Golds were in talks to sign Delhi Dynamos defender Anas Edathodika, but the Kerala footballer has been demanding a huge amount to get him signed.
East Bengal coach Trevor James Morgan has also referred Bukenya’s name to the club officials. Trevor will come to Kolkata for the upcoming I-League season on December 16.
The forthcoming I-League is all set to start from January 07 next year.
Not signed two yet, Belfort is not confirmed...I guess the reason EB is interested in signing Balwant is their tit-for-tat policy because of not getting Jeje...but things are hotting up...Balwant has trained at the MB ground today under Garcia, so it is being rumoured that he may not switch sides after all...he was earlier reported to be considering Churchill Brother's offer too if they returned to the I-League because they had helped him a lot during his career slump...so make what you can of that
East Bengal appoints former Spurs footballer Warren Hackett as Morgan’s deputy | Image : Barking and Dagenham Post
Kolkata: Kolkata giants Kingfisher East Bengal FC have appointed Warren James Hackett of St. Lucia as their new assistant coach for the upcoming I-League season. Hackett will be 45 years of age on December 16, on the day East Bengal chief coach Trevor James Morgan will return to Kolkata for the I-League.
Hackett is a former professional footballer who played as an international for Saint Lucia. Hackett was a defender, primarily a left-back, who began his career with Tottenham Hotspur and was part of the 1990 winning FA Youth Cup side, but was released without breaking into the first-team, having spells with Leyton Orient, Doncaster, Mansfield and Barnet.
After retirement from the football league due to injury, Hackett played for two seasons in non-League football before going into coaching where he was assistant manager at Waltham Forest, Fisher Athletic and Erith & Belvedere.
He then went to Toronto, Canada to further his coaching career and worked for Glen Shields Soccer Club as an Academy Director. He returned to England and was the Academy manager at Dagenham & Redbridge. Hackett was promoted to first-team assistant manager in February 2013 when his former Leyton Orient team-mate Wayne Burnett took over as manager of Dagenham.
In December 2015, following the sacking of manager Burnett, Hackett with Darren Currie became caretaker managers of Dagenham & Redbridge.
Earlier in the season Trevor James Morgan brought Richard Dryden as his assistant coach during Calcutta Football League but Dryden had said he can’t come this time due to some family issues. Kerala Blasters physio Simon Maltby has already been appointed as the physio of the Red & Gold brigade for the upcoming season. In last few seasons East Bengal had always suffered with injury problems with the players and that had cost them the league, that’s why the management is very much serious about the fitness issues of the players.
http://insidenewsbangla.in/sports/ivan_bukenya_eb-2/ Ivan Bukenya says, 'Whichever club I play for, that club wins trophies!' A fan of Jerome Boateng, he claims to have a knowledge of the derby from Nigerian footballer Fatai who had signed for Mohun Bagan in 2014....claims that he would have no problems in adjusting to the new conditions....two weeks would be enough
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Kervens Belfort set to sign for East Bengal
The Red and Gold have been bolstering their squad ahead of the new I-League season…
Kingfisher East Bengal FC have bolstered their squad for the upcoming I-League season commencing from the 7th of January next year. Amidst the race to qualify for the Indian Super League playoffs, East Bengal officials have been successful in finalising a few deals before the I-League begins.Fan of East Bengal FC ? Rate KEB 5 Star here- East Bengal FC
The news about Japanese medio Kenta Uchida was reported by Xtratime today...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenta_Uchida...It was said that Morgan has had a round of talks with him....didn't find any videos on the guy....also, has anyone any idea about how good the J.League 2 is (in comparison to the I-League, say)?
Bukenya will sign for East Bengal tomorrow
Kolkata: East Bengal’s Ugandan defender Ivan Bukenya will leave Kolkata on Sunday. The former Kaizer Chiefs player came to Kolkata with a tourist visa to give his medical test for the Red & Gold brigade.
The AIFF has made a rule that without any business visa no one can play for any I-League side in the coming season. He will sign the contract with Kolkata giants tomorrow, which will be followed by a press-conference in the evening at East Bengal club.
The 6 ft 4 inches tall defender came to the club on Wedneday morning to give his medical test in presence of club Assistant Secretary Dr. Santiranjan Dasgupta. He went through various types of blood tests, ECG, Cardiogram etc. After the tests Dr. Dasgupta cleared him as medically fit.
East Bengal who has already signed Haitian international Wedson Anselme has strengthened their defence with Bukenya. The Red and Golds were in talks to sign Delhi Dynamos defender Anas Edathodika, but the Kerala footballer has been demanding a huge amount to get him signed.
East Bengal coach Trevor James Morgan has also referred Bukenya’s name to the club officials. Trevor will come to Kolkata for the upcoming I-League season on December 16.
The forthcoming I-League is all set to start from January 07 next year.
Kolkata: Kolkata giants Kingfisher East Bengal FC have appointed Warren James Hackett of St. Lucia as their new assistant coach for the upcoming I-League season. Hackett will be 45 years of age on December 16, on the day East Bengal chief coach Trevor James Morgan will return to Kolkata for the I-League.
Hackett is a former professional footballer who played as an international for Saint Lucia. Hackett was a defender, primarily a left-back, who began his career with Tottenham Hotspur and was part of the 1990 winning FA Youth Cup side, but was released without breaking into the first-team, having spells with Leyton Orient, Doncaster, Mansfield and Barnet.
After retirement from the football league due to injury, Hackett played for two seasons in non-League football before going into coaching where he was assistant manager at Waltham Forest, Fisher Athletic and Erith & Belvedere.
He then went to Toronto, Canada to further his coaching career and worked for Glen Shields Soccer Club as an Academy Director. He returned to England and was the Academy manager at Dagenham & Redbridge. Hackett was promoted to first-team assistant manager in February 2013 when his former Leyton Orient team-mate Wayne Burnett took over as manager of Dagenham.
In December 2015, following the sacking of manager Burnett, Hackett with Darren Currie became caretaker managers of Dagenham & Redbridge.
Earlier in the season Trevor James Morgan brought Richard Dryden as his assistant coach during Calcutta Football League but Dryden had said he can’t come this time due to some family issues. Kerala Blasters physio Simon Maltby has already been appointed as the physio of the Red & Gold brigade for the upcoming season. In last few seasons East Bengal had always suffered with injury problems with the players and that had cost them the league, that’s why the management is very much serious about the fitness issues of the players.
Ivan Bukenya says, 'Whichever club I play for, that club wins trophies!'