The Gambia national team officially confirmed the appointment of former Gor Mahia head coach Johnathan McKinstry on a two-year deal on Wednesday.

In a statement on their social media pages, the Scorpions said: “The Gambia Football Federation wishes to congratulate and welcome our new gaffer Jonathan McKinstry on his appointment as Head Coach of the Scorpions. Jonny, a former Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Rwanda coach, is the current manager of Gor Mahia FC in Kenya and will take over from 1st June, 2024. He’s to oversee our qualification for the 2025 AFCON and 2026 World Cup.”

The appointment of McKinstry came just three days after he had guided the Green Army to their second straight Premier League title, and a record 21st in the history of the domestic league. Gor Mahia were crowned champions with thee matches to spare after achieving an unsailable 67 points.

In his farewell message to the Kenyan champions, McKinstry, who filled the vacuum left by the Belgian Tom Saintfiet, challenged K’Ogalo’s top hierarchy to seize the opportunity of the foundation he had laid to help the team remain dominant locally and also conquer Africa.

“I hope that as I go away from here, that we have put foundations in place to make sure K’Ogalo go forward over not just the next one or two years, but the next 10 years,” McKinstry said as quoted by Flashscore, adding: “It is not only to dominate the Kenyan football scene but also to make sure they go and conquer in the continental scene for many years to come.”