Newly-appointed Gor Mahia head coach Jonathan McKinstry reckons he can contain the pressure that comes with tutoring the record Kenyan Premier League champions.
McKinstry took charge at K'Ogalo on July 29 — on a two-year contract — replacing German Andreas Spier, who left at the end of the season.
The Irish tactician is expected to better Spier's performance after K'Ogalo cracked a top-four finish in their last campaign.
McKinstry is aware that achieving a feat of that magnitude at a club of Gor's calibre calls for a calm, collected mind.
“There is always pressure when you go into a new environment because everyone thinks they should be winning. That's no different whether you are a big or small team,” McKinstry said.
“Gor has a rich history, filled with trophies and big players and big names and the supporters have a right to expect us to continue with that.”
McKinstry, 37, will draw on his ample experience as former coach of the Uganda and Rwanda national teams to garnish Gor's cabinet with coveted silverware.
“For me, that's not different from other roles I've held, including in national teams and I thrive in that. I look forward to working with staff, officials and players who thrive under that pressure."
“I'm just looking forward to the start of the league campaign,” McKinstry said.
McKinstry got his job off to a perfect start after steering the side to a 1-0 victory over Coast Combined in a six-team pre-season tournament at the RG Ngala Stadium in Mombasa.
McKinstry holds a Uefa Pro Licence. He parted ways with the Uganda Cranes in April 2021 after 18 months at the helm.
He guided the Cranes to 12 wins, three draws, and three defeats during his reign and rose to the limelight after firing the East African nation to the 2019 Cecafa title.
Meanwhile, Gor Mahia suspended 10 of their players for a week for absconding from training.
The players are George 'Blackberry' Odhiambo, Dennis Ng’ang’a, Boniface Omondi, Alpha Onyango, Sydney Ochieng’, Ernest Wendo, Benson Omalla, John Ochieng and Austin Odhiambo.
A letter signed by Gor Mahia secretary Sam Ochola gave the players seven days to show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken against them.
