Cranes coach McKinstry pays price for poor returns
Uganda coach Jonathan McKinstry appears to have paid the price for the team’s poor performances in recent times.
The Irishman was on Tuesday asked to step aside from his role by his employers, the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA).
“The Fufa executive committee has asked the head coach of the national senior side the Uganda Cranes Mr Johnathan McKinstry to step aside from managing and coaching the team for the period from March 2nd- 31st, 2021,” a statement of the federation read.
“In the meantime assistant coaches Mr Mubiru Abdallah, Mr Mbabazi Livingstone and goalkeeping coach Mr Kajoba Fred will take charge of the team during this period. The rest of the technical team remains unchanged. Fufa will use the period to assess and monitor the performance of the team.”
McKinstry’s tenure as Uganda’s head coach has come under scrutiny following the team’s dismal performance at the 2021 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) in Cameroon.
Uganda Cranes, as the team is commonly referred to, were eliminated at the group stage of the continental competition following losses to Morocco and Togo and a draw against Rwanda.
Before then, Uganda surprisingly lost 1-0 to lowly South Sudan in Nairobi to dent the team’s hopes of qualification to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
“I am not saying we are going to fire him or not, but the fact is that there is an evaluation ongoing,” said FUFA president Moses Magogo.
McKinstry, who formerly coached in Rwanda, is the second trainer based in East Africa, after Tanzania’s Etienne Ndayiragije, to be sacked in the past three months.