The Kenyan Premier League giant, Gor Mahia Football Club has appointed the former Rwanda and Uganda coach as their new manager.
The Northern Irish football tactician signed a two-year deal with the 19-time Kenya Premier League champions.
“We are pleased to announce Jonathan McKinstry as our new head coach,” read the club’s statement on twitter.
“Coach Jonathan McKinstry penned a two-year deal and we welcome him to Gor Mahia”, continued the club.
McKinstry has handled both national teams and a club in his previous positions, hence has wide experience when it comes to managing.
He was appointed Sierra Leone Coach in 2013, where his team was beaten by Ivory Coast and Democratic Republic Congo. During that period, the country was under suspension following an Ebola outbreak.
He was later sacked in September 2014 even after the country reached position 50 in the Fifa world ranking, which is Sierra Leone’s highest ever.
In 2015, he was appointed Rwanda’s coach where he led his side to their first away win in four years; a 1-0 victory in the opening round of the 2017 African Nations Cup qualifier against Mozambique and later beating Ethiopia, the reigning champions, Kenya, and Sudan to finally reach the final.
Rwanda however lost in the final of Cecafa Senior Challenge after they were beaten by Uganda 1-0. McKinstry was nonetheless named the coach of that tournament.
He led the Rwandan national team to their first knock out stage of a major competition in their history where they advanced to the quarter-finals.
In 2016, he was sacked. The following year, McKinstry was appointed head coach by Lithuania’s Kauno Zalgiris and left in 2018 after the expiry of his contract.
The Federation of Uganda Football Associations appointed him in December 2019 to assume command of the Cranes, where he helped Uganda win the Cecafa Cup before leaving in April 2021.