Gor Mahia head coach Johnathan McKinstry reportedly jumps ahead of Arsenal legend in race for Gambia national team job

Gor Mahia head coach Johnathan McKinstry reportedly jumps ahead of Arsenal legend in race for Gambia national team job

Mark Kinyanjui 18:00 - 10.05.2024

The Northern Irish tactician is now the favorite to land the Gambia National team Job ahead of former Arsenal defender Sol Campbell.

Gor Mahia head coach Johnathan McKinstry has reportedly emerged as the leading candidate for the Gambia National Team head-coach job.

McKinstry, who has been with Gor Mahia since September 2022 under a two-year contract, is reportedly set to hold talks in Gambia next week regarding the possibility of taking over as the nation’s next coach.

Gambia, placed in Group F of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers alongside Kenya, Ivory Coast, Burundi, Gabon, and Seychelles, has been without a coach since the departure of Tom Saintfiet, who left to assume the role of the Philippines' new tactician.

McKinstry has reportedly surpassed former Arsenal defender Sol Campbell as the frontrunner for the Scorpions' head coach position.

 Gambian journalist Buba Jallow Fallaboweh revealed that McKinstry is expected to fly into Banjul following Gor Mahia’s clash against Shabana on Saturday.

With a coaching resume that includes stints with Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and Uganda National Teams, McKinstry boasts a remarkable 51% winning rate across these nations, the highest among Irish International coaches.

 His coaching philosophy places a significant emphasis on elite youth development, as evidenced by his work with clubs like Newcastle United, New York Red Bulls, and the renowned Right to Dream Academy in Ghana.

Notably, McKinstry was honored by Manchester United as the Grassroots Coach of The Year in the UK in 2006. At the international level, his standout achievement was guiding Rwanda to the quarter-finals of the 2016 CHAN competition.

Gor Mahia fans may feel a mix of pride and apprehension as their coach potentially embarks on a new chapter in his career. McKinstry's departure would come at a crucial juncture, with K'Ogalo currently leading the Kenya Premier League by nine points.