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The tactician explains how he has fallen in love with the local delicacy.
Despite only staying in Kenya for eight months, Gor Mahia head coach Johnathan McKinstry has revealed his love for brown Ugali.
The Northern Irishman was appointed as the head coach back in July 2022, and apart from the fish and ugali love, he has fallen in love with Nairobi City.
"I try everything people offer me and never turn anything away. I quite like your brown ugali because I have never had it before," McKinstry said, as quoted by Nation Sports.
"However, I haven't tried Kenyan Matoke because, in my head, I thought it was the same as the Ugandan one. Now that I know it is different, I will give it a try. The fish is just the same as the Ugandan One.
"I have not seen a lot of Kenya rather than the hotel and buses since I have a game after every three days. I find Nairobi as a city interesting and so much bigger than Accra, Freetown, Kigali, and Kampala.
"Nairobi is more like London in that it is so distinct, and I'm happy you have a big forest in the middle of the city. You will always find me walking near Karura Forest with my dog and a river around."
Generally, ugali - made from maize, millet, or sorghum and sometimes mixed with cassava - is a popular dish, especially in Kenya, and is one of the staple foods in the country. It is believed to be more popular in the Western and Nyanza regions, where Gor Mahia’s huge fan base is domiciled.
McKinstry is following in the footsteps of former Gor Mahia coaches who took extra steps to integrate with their fans. Dylan Kerr remains one of the famous K’Ogalo coaches since he always freely interacted with supporters.
The former Sierra Leone head coach praised Benson Omala – the current Football Kenya Federation Premier League’s top scorer – and his teammate Joshua Onyango.
Onyango has been a consistent starter under McKinstry for the 19-time league champions.
"Omala works hard in training, is humble, and has no ego. He is talented and a natural finisher. However, he has just achieved 60 percent of his talent and can reach his full potential as long as he is supported and surrounded by the right people," McKinstry continued.
"Joshua has played every single minute this season. Last season he was criticised for mistakes, but he has done better."
Apart from Sierra Leone, the tactician has worked with the Rwanda and Uganda national teams, where he left indelible marks in the regional competition, CECAFA.
He was named CECAFA’s best coach with Amavubi in 2015 before he lifted the title with the Cranes in 2019.
After a 0-0 draw on Friday, Gor Mahia shared points with KCB in their last match before the FIFA international break.
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