McKinstry focuses on the brighter side 

A 90 per cent win-rate in your first 10 matches as coach of a national team is quite an impressive start, and stat.
That is Uganda national football team, the Cranes, coach Johnny McKinstry’s report card as he celebrated his first anniversary this week since signing on September 30, 2019.

For a coach’s first year in charge anywhere in the world, that percentage is pure magnificence. 
However, it is worth noting that he did all that in his first three months, in which he beat Ethiopia in a friendly, saw off Malawi and drew at Burkina Faso in Afcon qualifiers.
McKinstry also thrashed Burundi in qualifying for Chan, and added Cecafa victories over the same side, Somalia, Eritrea (twice including the final), Djibouti and Tanzania.

In that whirlwind, the Cranes scored 20 times and conceded only twice. Now, that is a run McKinstry would have loved to continue.
But enter 2020 and Chan preparations were in high gear. 
Unfortunately, the first three months of the year were also his last intensive activity with his boys as the tournament, together with Afcon qualifiers, were postponed due to Covid-19.

Backroom activity
So, the 35-year old has actually been on the competitive dugout for only three months of his last nine as Cranes coach.

However, lots of behind-the-scenes programmes, including drawing private training regimens with players, his personal development courses and scheduling camps among others, have been on-going.
“Overall,” McKinstry told SCORE, “It’s been a positive experience, my first year. From The moment I arrived here, I knew this was the place I want to be. The ambitions of the players, the federation, desires of Ugandans for success, the type of football they want... It all augured well.”
McKinstry is a huge fan of a high press game, the kind you see Jurgen Klopp employ at Liverpool and earlier at Dortmund.

He is yet to fully adopt that here given the short period of real on-pitch activity he has had.
“The second half of the year has indeed been challenging. We have not been out on the pitch. 
Better prepared
“We want to be out on the grass. It’s the best part of the job. Nine out of 10 when you come to the training pitch we have a smile on our face.
“But we’ve used the time out very effectively in terms of tactical support, game model, fitness programmes, game scheduling.
 
“We are as best prepared as we can be in the circumstances. I’m excited about the future like qualifying for Afcon 2022. Looking forward to a better second year.”
But in 10 games with the Cranes, McKinstry has at least his trophy account when Uganda beat Eritrea to win the 2019 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup. Yet, even he knows there is a lot more to achieve. 
“We haven’t achieved significant success. We know that,” he elaborated.

Pleasantly pleased
“But I’ve had plenty of things I’ve been pleasantly pleased with. One of them is how everyone is on board toward bringing success.
“The sponsors, Fufa, the government, the fans... A case in point is the Dubai camp that we’ve arranged. Others elsewhere would focus on cost cutting and saving but here everyone is committed to getting the best out of that.

“It doesn’t guarantee success, but it helps move you towards it,” added McKinstry, who replaced Frenchman Sebastien Desabre.
The holder of a Uefa Pro License, beat a cast of other experienced coaches to the job after resigning from Bangladesh club Saif.
The Cranes travel to Dubai for a training camp (October 6-13) as a precursor for the Afcon 2022 double header qualifier against South Sudan in November.

Cranes games in charge
Ethiopia 0-1 Uganda (friendly)
Uganda 3-0 Burundi (Chan qualifiers)
Burkina Faso 0-0 Uganda (Afcon qualifier)
Uganda 2-0 Malawi (Afcon qualifier)
Uganda 2-1 Burundi (Cecafa)
Uganda 2-0 Somalia (Cecafa)
Uganda 2-0 Eritrea (Cecafa)
Uganda 4-1 Djibouti (Cecafa)
Uganda 1-0 Tanzania (Cecafa)
Uganda 3-0 Eritrea (Cecafa)

Afcon 2022 qualifier fixture dates

Match Day 3 and 4 
November 9 – 17, 2020
Match Day 5 and 6
March 22 – 30, 2021
Uganda play South Sudan back-to-back in November, and Malawi and Burkina Faso in March 2021

McKinstry’s match stats

Played     - 10
Won     - 9
Drawn    - 1
Loss    - 0
Goals    - 20
Against    - 2
First half goals     - 8
Second half goals      12
Trophies
Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup 2019