Over 20 foreign and local coaches have applied for the coaching position at record FKF Premier League champions Gor Mahia, as Northern Irishman Jonathan McKinstry prepares to leave the club at the end of the season.
Club Chairman Ambrose Rachier revealed that the pool of applicants includes coaches with experience both in Kenya and Europe.
“We have received over 20 applications through email, direct calls and through other means. We are still receiving more requests before we can start a vigorous vetting process to come up with a suitable replacement for McKinstry,” said Rachier.
The long-serving K’Ogalo Chairman also says outgoing coach McKinstry will nominate his preferred successor, who Rachier says will have to be vetted just like the rest of the applicants.
“McKinstry had suggested he could give us an appropriate replacement. We are obliged, but they will go through a rigorous vetting process before we can end up with one name,” averred Rachier.
McKinstry departs Gor Mahia after leading the team to a record 21st league title and securing a spot in next season’s CAF Champions League. The club is now in search of a competent coach to help them advance through the group stages and beyond.
The last time K’Ogalo participated in the continental competition was in February 2021, when they were denied a group stage slot in the CAF Confederations Cup by Zambian side Napsa Stars in a two-legged tie.
Club Chairman Ambrose Rachier stated that, in the interim, they will rely on assistant coach Michael Nam while the process of identifying a new head coach continues.
“We will need to know the history of all applicants, their past successes and their level of coaching ability. We need to be very keen so that we are not duped,” added Rachier.
Rachier has further noted that the new tactician will be charged with the duty of identifying new players to beef up the squad ahead of the CAF Champions League.
“McKinstry had identified some players he wanted to be part of the team for the next season. But the incoming tactician will have all the freedom to decide who to include in his squad. We will play our facilitation role as the office,” noted Rachier.
Gor Mahia remains the only team from the CECAFA region to have won a continental title, having lifted the Africa Cup Winners’ Cup in 1987. Recently, Tanzania’s Yanga FC came close to achieving similar success by reaching the CAF Confederations Cup final last year, only to be defeated by Algeria’s USM Alger, who claimed the trophy.
Other CECAFA teams that have reached the finals of continental tournaments but did not win include Uganda’s SC Villa in 1992 and Tanzania’s Simba SC in 1993.
