having to play all our games away. We finished bottom of the group with one point, but what else was going to happen?”
As well as the logistical challenges associated with the location of the game – with the home advantage historically far more relevant in Africa than the rest of the world, with a continental home win rate of around 70% - the effect on the players because of Ebola in a psychological sense was even more damaging.
“There was a lot negative attention the players were getting, and all the procedures they had to do – which were completely understandable from the host’s point of view. Having your temperature taken 2-3 times a day, being detained at the airport – they feel like outcasts. It’s a ridiculous concept that these players – who haven’t been back home in 4-5 months – are being stigmatized for having a Sierra Leonean passport.”
Losing 2-1 and 2-0 to Ivory Coast and DR Congo in the first two games of AFCON 2015 qualifying, things carried on as normal. The FA – seemingly understanding the plight of what the team had to put up with – continued to have meeting with McKinstry and planning for the upcoming Cameroon game.
“I was in the car heading home from their office, when I got an email from the SLFA, telling me I was dismissed – sent by a guy I was in a meeting with two hours ago.
was dismissed – sent by a guy I was in a meeting with two hours ago.
They couldn’t sit me down and have a face-to-face chat. So I spun around, went back and told the FA that – whilst I don’t agree with the way you’d dismissed me – lets shake hands and best of luck for the future. I was an extremely disappointing decision, one not entirely based on football I don’t think – especially when you consider that, on the day that I was dismissed, we still stood at our record high of 50th in the FIFA rankings”.
Whilst disappointed, McKinstry admits his dismissal has seen a very positive effect in terms of the attention that has come his way, and is using it as a positive to continue to forge his very promising career.
“I want to work in the top leagues eventually, but I know that’s not going to happen tomorrow. Getting to know different cultures is important in the big leagues.. In the Bundesliga, you’re not just dealing with German players - every club is so multicultural, and it’s the same in Serie A, the Premier League, wherever. So having the experience of different backgrounds means you know how to interact with people; might explain why one player does something in a certain way. I’m not interested in a job where I just keep things ticking over though. I want a project where I can have an influence, where I can put my ideology and have an impact.”