Gor Mahia replaces coach Andreas Spier with Cecafa winning Irish tactician
Record Football Kenya Federation Premier League Champions Gor Mahia have appointed Irish coach Johnathan McKinstry as their new tactician on a two-year contract.
According to the Club Secretary General Sam Ochola, the former Ugandan national team head coach is expected into the country this week and will be officially unveiled on Monday.
“We have settled on McKinstry due to his experience and performance in the teams he has coached. He is the right person to steer us for the next two seasons as we fight to reclaim our league title and win other title,” Ochola told Nairobi News.
The 37-year-old tactician served as Uganda national team coach for 18 months before he was fired in November last year.
McKinistry, won the Cecafa 2019 edition with Uganda Cranes. In 2015, he was voted Cecafa coach of the tournament while serving Rwanda national team coach. He held that position between March 2015 and August 2016. Before that he had been the head coach of Sierra Leone national team from April 2013 to September 2014.
At club level, the tactician who holds UEFA Pro Licence, has coached FK Kauno Žalgiris A-Lyga in Lithuania from July 2017 to December 2017 and SAIF Sporting Club in Bangladesh from November 2018 to September 2019.
Gor Mahia has been without a coach since last month when the club opted not to renew the contract of German tactician Andreas Spier. The German, who also served as FKF instructor in 2016, was with the club for six months. He is now reported to be on verge of joining Tusker as a replacement for the under fire Robert Matano.
McKinistry becomes the 11th coach to have joined K’Ogalo’s camp since 2013. Other who have managed the club during that period include Bobby Williamson, Frank Nuttal, Dylan Kerr, Hassan Oktay, Steven Polack, Roberto Oliveira, Sammy ‘Pamzo’ Omollo and Mark Harrison and Paul Nkata.
The arrival of McKinistry comes just weeks after K’Ogalo, the most successful club in the country, nailed a Sh76 million sponsorship with betting firm Betafriq.
The team began their pre-season training this week under the watchful eye of assistant coach Michael Nam and team manager Jolawi Obondo.
The new coach however will have to deal with the current crop players as Gor Mahia just like their arch rivals AFC Leopards are not allowed to sign players due to a Fifa ban.
The club has maintained most of the players from last season’s squad, with the exception of foreigners Sando Sando Yangayay and custodian Adama Keita who left last week.