Uganda’s football governing body, FUFA have suspended national team coach, Johnathan McKinstry over unknown reasons.
According to a Tuesday evening statement, the FUFA Executive Committee has asked the Northern Irishman to step aside for a month.
“The FUFA Executive Committee has asked the head coach of the national senior side, the Uganda Cranes Johnathan McKinstry to step aside from managing and coaching the team for the period from March 2 to 31,2021,” the statement said without giving more details on the reason for suspension.
The local football governing body said assistant coaches, Mubiru Abdallah, Mbabazi Livingstone and goalkeeping coach Kajoba Fred will take charge of the team during this period whereas the rest of the technical team remains unchanged.
“FUFA will use the period to assess and monitor the performance of the team.”
The suspension of the national team coach has left many perplexed on what could have gone wrong between the Northern Irishman and the local football governing body.
Many have since concluded that the suspension is a humble way of sacking the coach appointed in 2019.
These argue that being suspended at a time when the national team has two crucial Afcon qualifying games in a few weeks time and you are the man charged with leading the team, things might be worse on your side, and you are deemed “useless.”
However, on the other side, many have supported the move saying it is high time FUFA gave chance to local coaches and facilitate them well to take charge of the affairs of the national football team just like many countries have done.
The proponents of McKinstry’s sacking in favour of a local coach base their arguments on the Hippos’ stellar performance that has seen them brace the U-20 Afcon finals in Mauritania on their debut appearance and the team is coached by Morley Byekwaso.
The Northern Irishman was recently criticized for the Cranes team’s poor performance and subsequent humiliating exit from the just –concluded CHAN tournament in Cameroon without winning any game.
Many fans and commentators, especially on social media posted messages accusing McKinstry of putting the Ugandan name “into disrepute.”
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