By: LakshmiPS
Uganda named Northern Irishman Johnny McKinstry as their new coach on Monday, giving him a three-year contract. He was the head coach of Bangladesh Premier League club Saif SC since November 2018.
It is the third national team job for the 34-year-old from Lisburn, who was Sierra Leone’s coach in 2013, at the age of 27, and also had a spell with Rwanda.
McKinstry had been coaching at Craig Bellamy’s academy in Sierra Leone for three years when he was asked to help the national team but he was sacked after 18 months.
His spell with Rwanda also lasted just over a year and he then worked at a Lithuanian club.
“My objective will be to take the best of what is already there and combine it with both new talent and new working practices to improve performance,” McKinstry told a news conference in the Ugandan capital.
“With effort and application we can maximise both individual and team potential in the months and years ahead.”
In November, Uganda begin their bid to qualify for a third successive Africa Cup of Nations finals with their opening group matches away to Burkina Faso and at home to Malawi.
McKinstry joined Saif SC ahead of the 2018–19 Bangladesh Football Premier League season. The club’s victory over NofeL SC in April this year made McKinstry the head coach with the greatest number of competitive victories in the club’s history.
Following the completion of the 2018-19 Season in which the team set new club records for Most Points in a league season, most wins in a league season, and most Goals Scored in a league season; McKinstry was rewarded with a new 12-month contract to lead SAIF Sporting Club in the 2019-2020 season.
Following the completion of the 2018-19 Season, the team also set new club records for most points in a league season, most wins in a league season, and most Goals Scored in a league season.
(With Reuters inputs)
