Gor Mahia coach Jonathan McKinstry praises Omala, reveals favourite dish
Gor Mahia Coach Johnathan McKinstry has revealed his love for brown Ugali and fish, a local delicacy in Kenyan circles.
The Northern Irishman has settled in well since joining the Kenyan giants eight months ago, and likened Nairobi to London in England, saying it is a big city compared to Accra, Free Town, Kigali, Kampala and other African cities where he has lived and visited.
He says Nairobi boasts of a good environment.
“I try everything people offer me and never turn anything away. I quite like your brown Ugali I have never had it before. However, I haven’t tried Kenyan matoke because in my head I thought it is the same as Ugandan One. Now that I know it is different, I will give it a try, The fish is just the same as Ugandan One ” said McKinstry.
He was speaking on Monday on NTV Sport On Show hosted by journalists James Wokabi and Bernard Ndong’.
“I have not seen a lot of Kenya rather than the hotel and buses since I have a game after every three days.
I find Nairobi as a city interesting and so bigger than Accra, Free Town, Kigali Kampala. Nairobi is more like London in that it is so distinct and I’m happy you have a big forest in the middle of the city,
You will always find me walking near Karura Forest with my dog and a river around,” said McKinstry.
The former Ugandan Cranes coach says he took prestige in nurturing talented young players in the club so as to cover for a Fifa ban.
The ban has necessitated Gor to elevate many players from its youth team to the senior squad.
He singled out striker Benson Omala,21, and defender Joshua Onyango, 19 for praise, saying they boast of immense talent and could turn out to be some of best players in the country if well nurtured.
Omala leads the Golden Boot chase with 19 league goals, and Onyango has featured in all 19 K’Ogalo matches this season.
“Omala works hard in training, is humble and has no ego. He has a lot of talent and natural finisher. However, he has just achieved 60 percent of his talent and can reach his full potential as long as he is supported and surrounded with the right people,” said McKinstry.
“Joshua has played every single minute this season. Last season he was criticized for mistakes but he has done better,”
McKinistry also promised Gor Mahia fans that he will lead the club to reclaim the league title they lost to Tusker in the two previous seasons, despite the lean squad he is working with.
To achieve this, he says they have to have almost a 100 percent winning rate over the teams in the bottom half of the table.
Gor lead FKF-PL standing on 41 points from 19 matches, five more than KCB with 15 matches to the end of the season.
McKinstry, 37, has coached the Uganda, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone national teams. He won the Cecafa 2019 edition with Uganda Cranes and was the Cecafa 2015 coach of the tournament while serving as The Amavubi Head Coach (March 2015- August 2016).
He also served as Sierra Leone national team coach from April 2013 to September 2014.
He has overseen 55 national team matches and won about 30 in them.
He also waded into the match-fixing debate calling for stiffer punishment for culprits but also thorough investigations to avoid players being punished unfairly.
“For me football is a privilege and if it is abused you should not be given a second chance. It should also not be one or a two-year ban but the punishment should be severe and stiffer,” he said.
“However, we have to make sure there is enough evidence, information is proven and investigation is robust. There are instance where people have been accused and punished yet there is no evidence,”
On Tuesday, two foreigners and a Kenyan who were arrested on claims of planning to influence the outcome of FKF-PL match between Sofapaka and Nairobi City Stars were charged in Makadara Court.
The trio were released on Sh300,000 bond.
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