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Immediate former Gor Mahia FC head coach Johnathan McKinstry has drawn a compelling comparison between the FKF Premier League giants and English Premier League side Manchester United.

Speaking during the first ever television Interviews since moving to Gambia, the two-FKF Premier League champion said the success at Gor Mahia makes be like the Kenyan version of Man United.

Gor Mahia success

“Gor Mahia are a huge football club. They won the former Mandela Cup in 1987 and are the most successful club in Kenya. It’s like taking over the Kenyan version of Manchester United,” McKinstry told Gambia’s Q TV.

McKinstry said he was well aware of the expectations that come with managing such a prestigious club.

“Just like going to Manchester United, the expectation would be, regardless of previous results, to win the championship. It doesn’t matter if it’s realistic or not; it’s the expectation you’ll be judged by,” he explained.

Mckinstry was responding to a question on why he took over at Gor Mahia at time when they were facing challenging circumstances such as transfer bans, lack of finances and exit of top talents.

“When I took over, they had finished third and eighth in the previous seasons. They had missed out on three transfer windows over the past three seasons, and we were just coming off the COVID pandemic. All the sponsorship had dried up, and top players who represented them well in the CAF Confederations Cup and played for the national team had left,” he added.

Despite these challenges, McKinstry was undeterred by the daunting task ahead following feedback from his players and fellow coaches who had been at Gor Mahia before.

“People were telling me not to go near that job. They said my CV and profile were quite good, so why go for a job where there’s a high chance you won’t win the championship?” he shared.

“It was a club I had known for a while and had players from the Rwanda and Uganda national teams who played for the club. I spoke to players and coaches who had been there, and they all gave positive feedback. They said it’s tough, but if you win there, it is really good,” McKinstry stated.

First scenes at Gor Mahia

 “The expectation when we went into pre-season two years ago was mid-table and we only had 18 players. 

“The fear was, if we got injuries and suspensions, we’d even have gotten relegated. It turned out to be a fairytale season, a Leicester City season.”

McKinstry is the head coach of Gambia.

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