On this day in 2021, the Federation of Uganda Football Associations officially announced the end of Johnathan McKinstry’s tenure as head coach of the Uganda Cranes, bringing to a close an 18-month stint that had begun in September 2019.
The Northern Irishman, aged 35 at the time, departed with a record of 12 wins, three draws, and three losses from 18 matches, translating to a 67 percent win rate.
His tenure included a standout achievement in 2019 when he guided Uganda to the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup title, winning all matches—a feat only previously achieved once in the country’s history.
However, momentum waned following a defeat to South Sudan in Nairobi, a result that dented Uganda’s campaign to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
McKinstry later oversaw Uganda’s participation in the African Nations Championship in Cameroon, where the team failed to progress beyond the group stage.
Ahead of a crucial Afcon home qualifier against Burkina Faso, Fufa asked McKinstry to step aside, with his assistant Abdallah Mubiru taking charge of the remaining fixtures.
Uganda managed just one point from the final two matches, ultimately missing out on qualification for the tournament in Cameroon.
Despite the setbacks, McKinstry briefly resumed duties ahead of the June World Cup qualifiers, maintaining contact with players at their respective clubs.
Fufa remained silent on his status until formally confirming his departure on April 19.
In its statement, the association thanked McKinstry and his technical team for their contribution to the development of the national side but did not immediately name a successor.
Following his exit, McKinstry went on to manage Gor Mahia and later took charge of the Gambia national football team. He was succeeded at the Cranes by Milutin Sredojević, who was later replaced by current head coach Paul Put.