Northern Irishman Jonathan McKinstry led Gor Mahia to their 21st league title before departing for a coaching role in Gambia.
Gor Mahia’s head coach, Jonathan McKinstry, delivered his parting words after guiding the team to clinch their 21st Football Kenya Federation Premier League title.
In a decisive match on Sunday at the SportPesa Arena in Murang’a, K’Ogalo secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Muhoroni Youth. McKinstry, who is set to leave for Gambia to assume a national team coaching role, shared his thoughts and emotions during this significant moment.
“I’m extremely pleased and proud of the boys. Before the game, I told them to go out and put it all together. They were extremely excellent,” McKinstry expressed in a post-match interview with Nation. The outgoing coach, who has been instrumental in Gor Mahia’s recent successes, acknowledged the challenges and achievements of his tenure.
“Some people think that coaches are magicians, but we are just people. When I came here, K’Ogalo was adrift at sea and the task was to get them back to number one,” he added.
Under McKinstry’s guidance, Gor Mahia not only reclaimed their status as champions but did so with an impressive margin, finishing 11 points clear of their closest competitors.
“Today we have set the standard as champions with 11 points clear of second place. I hope that as I leave, we put foundations in place to ensure that K’Ogalo moves forward not just in the next two years, but for the next 10 years, and also makes a mark on the international scene,” McKinstry noted.
The victory was sealed with goals from Benson Omala, Austin Odhiambo, and Boniface Omondi, ensuring that Gor Mahia secured the title with three matches still remaining in the season. After the celebrations and the conclusion of the match, McKinstry was scheduled to fly out to Gambia last evening.
His new role involves leading the Gambia national team in the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Seychelles and Gabon.
Despite his impending departure, McKinstry is set to return to Kenya to steer Gor Mahia in their remaining three matches before his permanent move to Gambia.
