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Gambia coach Johnathan McKinstry has given reasons why he thinks Gor Mahia is very similar to Premier League side Manchester United.
Johnathan McKinstry, former coach of Gor Mahia, has candidly shared the significant challenges he faced during his first season with the club in 2022.
Taking over at a tumultuous time, McKinstry's journey was fraught with financial instability, a transfer ban, and a depleted squad.
Despite these hurdles, he managed to navigate the team through a difficult period, drawing parallels between Gor Mahia and Manchester United in terms of stature and expectations.
Gor Mahia, one of Kenya's most storied football clubs, was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sponsorships dwindled, and fans' absence from stadiums left the club financially crippled.
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This financial strain made it difficult to retain top players, many of whom left due to unpaid salaries. The club's woes were compounded by a heavy transfer ban imposed after several players took their grievances to FIFA.
Despite these daunting conditions, McKinstry, who had previously coached Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and Uganda, decided to embrace the challenge.
He explained his motivation, stating, "Gor Mahia are a huge football club. They won the former Mandela Cup in 1987. They are the most successful club in Kenya, and it's a bit like taking the Kenyan version of Manchester United."
Before McKinstry's arrival, Gor Mahia had finished third and eighth in the league, struggling with financial issues and a two-window transfer ban.
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The COVID-19 pandemic had dried up sponsorships, and many key players had left. McKinstry acknowledged the daunting task, noting, "A lot of players who had represented them in the CAF Confederation Cup and had been playing for the national team left. I was looking at that job and people were telling me ‘do not go to that job’," he told Gambian outlet QSSPORTS.
Despite the warnings, McKinstry was confident in his abilities. "People were telling me my profile was quite good. ‘Why would you go to a team where there is a 9/10 chance you will not win the championship? Just like going to Manchester United, regardless of where you finish the previous season in the championship, the expectation is to win the championship."
The reality upon his arrival was even harsher than anticipated. "When I arrived, it was worse than what was sold to me.
"The first week, we only had 10-11 players for training and on some days, 6 or 7," McKinstry recounted. Despite the bleak situation, he refused to cancel training sessions, insisting, "I can run a training session with six people."
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The expectations for the season were low, with many fearing relegation due to the thin squad of only 18 players.
McKinstry's approach, however, turned the season into a surprising success. "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."
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