How Uganda’s McKinstry masterminded his downfall

The Bright Stars hosted the Cranes at Nyayo Stadium in Group B of the Africa Nations Cup qualifiers. South Sudan had lost the first round away by a solitary goal and despite being at ‘home’ for the reverse fixture, they were still viewed as underdogs.

However, the Cranes fell by a solitary goal scored by Tito Okello and struggled to break down the hosts. It was a result that was not welcome back in Uganda and some people lost faith in the 35-year-old.

The team was among the favourites to advance from Group C which had Morocco – who successfully retained their crown, Togo and Rwanda. The East Africans managed to get one point from the group as Amavubi and Morocco advanced.

The 5-2 loss to the Atlas Lions underpinned the failure of the coach to guide the team to higher levels. The silence at Fufa spoke a lot about McKinstry’s future and the writings are now all over the wall.

The Cranes have received massive support to perform in all the competitions they are involved in. Prior to their shock 1-0 loss to Bright Stars, they camped in Dubai for 10 days. They also took part in the pre-Chan mini-tournament.

McKinstry himself admitted he received 90% of what he had asked from the Federation and still failed when it mattered most. It was like shooting oneself in the foo and expecting not to be injured.

Prior to his arrival, the Cranes were used to playing short but quick passes and their build-up was something to marvel at. In Chan, it was not the case, long balls were the order of the day and Uganda struggled to play their passing game.

They lacked a tactical approach to break down Rwanda and played second fiddle to Togo. Against Morocco, they looked like an academy side taking footballing lessons from their seniors.

The pressure was building on McKinstry after the loss away to South Sudan. By the time they were embarrassed by the Atlas Lions in Cameroon, a big percentage of the supporters felt McKinstry’s time in Uganda was over.

Some local tacticians also showed their dissatisfaction with the way Uganda played, and seemingly, Fufa has bowed to the pressure and decided to act. In football, masses always win and chances of McKinstry staying are now slim.