March 2021 saw Coach McKinstry pass his 20-year milestone in football coaching.  Over that time he has improved the win-performance of a number of teams and delivered success (15 March 2021). 

Having taken his first steps on a placement with the Irish Football Association back in 2001, Coach McKinstry has since coached across Africa, Europe and North America. 

Over that time, he has consistently delivered improvements and achieved success, improving the win-ratio of teams he has worked with - by implementing systems and developing the technical and tactical ability of players, staff and clubs / associations.

 

Uganda National Team: 

As Head Coach of the Uganda National Team, the 'Uganda Cranes' (2019 - ) to date Coach McKinstry has delivered a WIN from 2 in every 3 games and gone undefeated in over 8 in every 10 games - the highest 'win' and 'undefeated' ratios achieved by a Uganda National Team Coach in over a decade, a standard that can be considered high not only in Uganda but also by international standards.   

In his first 3 months in charge, he had led Uganda to win CECAFA 2019; had put Uganda top of their AFCON qualification group; and secured 9 wins and 1 draw from his first 10 games.  In winning CECAFA 2019, Uganda won all six of their matches, scoring fourteen goals and conceding just two.  Winning CECAFA for a record 15th time, it was only the second time in Uganda's history that they had done so by winning every game in the tournament. 

At the end of week 2 of AFCON qualification, Uganda sat second in their group (2 Wins, 1 Draw, 1 Loss), only one point behind the group leaders, with qualification places awaiting for the top-2 finishing teams.  Their away loss (following an early red card and a separate penalty) represented the Senior National ‘A’ Team’s first and only loss under Coach McKinstry; and the only goal conceded to date in their AFCON qualification campaign. Uganda were also the only team of the 48 nations in AFCON qualification not to have conceded any goals from open play. 

Given the ongoing development of systems and approaches under Coach McKinstry, and the associated development of staff and players, it is strongly anticipated that Uganda will qualify for the finals of AFCON for the third consecutive time.

Overall, as at February 2021 Coach McKinstry has led Uganda for 18 matches - winning 12 (67%), drawing 3 (17%) and losing only 3 (17%); scoring 30 goals and conceding 11 (Goal Difference: +19).  

Comparing games under his management with the same number of games immediately before his appointment, he had improved Uganda's win ratio by 103% (67% Win vs 33% Win previously).

 

  

Rwanda National Team

As Head Coach of the Rwanda National Football (the 'Amavubi Stars') Team Coach McKinstry led Rwanda to new heights - securing Rwanda’s best ever performance in a major competition (Quarter-Finals of the 2016 CAF Nations Championship), the first time in their history the team had progressed to the knock out stages of a major tournament; and finishing runner up in CECAFA 2015 (being named 'Coach of the Tournament' for his efforts).

He also secured Rwanda’s biggest ever victory in FIFA or CAF qualifying (5-0 vs Mauritius); secured Rwanda’s first competitive away win in 4 years (vs Mozambique, AFCON qualifying); and placed Rwanda second in AFCON 2017 group qualifying with 6 points (both achievements having only been once before bettered in Rwanda’s history - in 2004).

Comparing games under his management with the same number of games immediately before his appointment, he had improved Rwanda's win ratio by 83% (44% Win vs 24% Win previously).

 

 

Sierra Leone National Team

Coach McKinstry was Head Coach of the Sierra Leone National Men's Football team (the 'Leone Stars') from April 2013 - September 2014, at that time the youngest active Head Coach in international football (at only 27 years of age).  

Within just 16 months (August 2014) Coach McKinstry had led Sierra Lone to their highest ever FIFA World and African rankings - 7th in Africa and 50th in the World, an achievement hailed by Fifa.com as "remarkable".  He recorded an undefeated home record throughout role as Head Coach; and guided the team to the final qualifying stages of the 2015 CAF Nations Cup, progressing through two knockout qualification rounds.

Comparing games under his management with the same number of games immediately before his appointment, he had improved Sierra Leone's win ratio by 52% (38% Win vs 25% Win previously). 

 

 

SAIF Sporting Club (Premier League, Bangladesh)

As Head Coach of the SAIF Sporting Club (2019), Coach McKinstry led the team to set 5 new Club Records in his 1st season with club (most wins as a Head Coach in Club History; most points gained in a Premier League season; most wins in a Premier League season; most goals in a Premier League season; and best performance in both the BFF Federation Cup (FA Cup) and BFF Independence Cup (League Cup) Tournaments - reaching the quarter-finals in both).  At the point he departed to take up his role as Head Coach of the Uganda National Team he had a win percentage of 56% with 74% of all games undefeated.

Comparing games under his management with the same number of games immediately before his appointment, he had improved Saif Sporting Club's win ratio by +17% (56% Win vs 48% Win previously).

 

 

Career Profile  

You can read more about Coach McKinstry's career to date - including other posts held, as well as his awards, honours and qualifications - by reading his Career Profile.

 

Technical Notes

• Win-Ratio and Improvement under Coach McKinstry: To provide a consistent basis for comparison, for each team the number of games under Coach McKinstry is compared with the same number of games immediately preceding Coach McKinstry's tenure.
• Uganda National Team Win-Ratio over time: With regards to Coach McKinstry's current role as Head Coach of the Uganda National Team, the win-ratio across his entire tenure to date is also compared with the win-ratio across the entire tenure of a number of recent Uganda national team coaches. The figures used for that comparison are:
  
  • McKinstry (2019- ):  W12, D3, L3.  Win = 67% / Undefeated = 83% (GS+30, GA-11, GD+19)
  • Desabre (2017-19):  W6, D5, L7.  Win = 33% / Undefeated = 61% (GS+15, GA-15, GD0)
  • Sredojević (2013-17):  W35, D16, L24.  Win = 47% / Undefeated = 68%
  • Williamson (2008-13):  W32, D13, L12.  Win = 56% / Undefeated = 79%
  • (At the date of this artice (March 2021), McKinstry had managed the same number of games for Uganda as Desabre (18).  'Micho' Sredojević (75) and Williamson (57) had managed considerably more games over their full tenure with Uganda than McKinstry has to date (as at 15 March 2021))