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Having marked his 50th game in charge of Gor Mahia, Johnathan McKinstry has revealed the four toughest FKFPL opponents he has faced, admitting they have given him 'problems'
Gor Mahia head coach Johnathan McKinstry has revealed the four toughest opponents he has faced since he took charge of the 20-time Kenyan champions in 2022.
McKinstry has further revealed why he has enjoyed facing these sort of sides, admitting they pause “different challenges” for his players and coaching staff.
The Northern Irish tactician has revealed that KCB, who are one of the four clubs, have “frustrated” him despite the fact his charges have largely dominated all the encounters between both sides.
“There are games where you come away massively frustrated,” McKinstry said. “I think KCB have proven to be our most frustrating opponent,” he added.
“In every game, we have played them, we have largely dominated the game. We have played them three times since I arrived and have dominated every game yet it has been two draws and a loss.
“We look at the games, we look at the ball posession, we look at the chances created and we are the dominant side but for whatever reason, we have not been able to cross the line in those games.”
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McKinstry has namechecked Tusker, Kenya Police and Homeboyz as the other tough opponents.
“The games that give you trouble are the ones that give you the most joy as a coach. So, you love playing against the likes of Tusker, Police, Homeboyz because you know they are going to give you problems as they have good players on their ranks," he added.
“They play a different type of football to us. Sometimes when you find two teams playing a similar type of football, then you find the game is open and flowing and is a joy to watch.
“Sometimes, however, you go and play a team that is super direct and when it is super direct, it is hard to press because they release the ball quickly and do not hold on to it, so it poses tactical challenges for the coaching staff and players to solve.”
McKinstry’s words will make sense considering that Kakamega Homeboyz have managed to get away unbeaten by K’Ogalo in four attempts, including in the FKF Cup quarter-finals and the penultimate game of last season’s title race which left them at the risk of losing it all together.
Tusker have lost all their encounters against Gor Mahia under his tutelage, but have been difficult to break down, while Kenya Police, who is full of seasoned internationals, have not been too dissimilar to face to the Brewers in terms of challenge.
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