But it simply wasn’t to be. If our task was a difficult one at the outset, it was made near
impossible following the Ebola outbreak and the requirement to play all of our games
away from home.
In football across the globe, the home team wins 50% of the time. Because of the
logistics of playing in Africa, that rises to 65% when you look at results over the last
decade. When you give up home advantage it becomes very difficult. And it was made
even more difficult by the decision to play our games at the venues of our opponents….
no neutral ground, but 6 away games. Guinea should be rightly praised for their
achievements for how well they have done in qualifying whilst playing their ‘home’ games
at a neutral venue. But playing at a neutral venue and playing in a hostile away stadium
are quite different.
ASM: You were hurriedly removed as head coach for the Sierra Leone National
Team. What happened?
Johnny: The reason that was listed in the letter was the ‘poor results in our opening two
games against Ivory Coast and DR Congo’.
So from a footballing angle, that was the reason. And if we had won those games,
despite all of the obstacles, despite some players only arriving the night before our game
in Abidjan due to their tickets not being sent on time, despite a 48 hour transit from Ivory
Coast to Lubumbashi in DR Congo (when it should have taken 6 if arrangements had
been made in a timely fashion), then it probably wouldn’t have been possible to make a
change.
But, with losing the games, I think it presented an opportunity for people who maybe didn’t
have football as their primary motivator to have an influence on decisions. I think from a
footballing standpoint it is very hard to understand, and you can see how the team has
done since then unfortunately. It was actually
interesting to read in a recent FourFourTwo article
comments from my successor, Coach Sesay, who
is quoted as saying he thought my staff and I were
doing a great job, and he didn’t know why we were
replaced. Interesting comments from
the person who comes in after you.
ASM: What is your take away from your first
head coaching experience?
Coach McKinstry in action
Johnny: Overall a better understanding of what is
required to succeed at the top level in African
football. I am eager to take up a new role as Head
Coach and use the experience with Sierra Leone
to ultimately take my next team to the African
Nations Cup finals, and also push for World Cup
qualification.
18 months with the Leone Stars has allowed me to
see the many potholes that need to be swerved if
you are to be successful at international level here .
6