Goal, “because it’s a very local rivalry that goes back, it’s a big derby game.
“But [it also bears significance] for myself, because 18 of the 30 players that Rwanda have named in their squad played for me when I was their head coach several years ago.”
McKinstry was appointed Wasps boss in 2015, ending their four-year wait for an away victory when they defeated Mozambique during the qualifying campaign for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, while also taking silver at the 2015 Cecafa Cup.
The Northern Irishman also took the East Africans to the latter stages of the 2016 Chan, and, memorably, was within two minutes of taking a point from Avram Grant’s Ghana during the Afcon qualifying campaign, only for Wakaso Mubarak’s late freekick to seal the win for the Black Stars.
“Now we consider this something of an anomaly. Why is that?
“There have been various reasons for that down the years, but this year, looking at ourselves and the group of players we have, there’s a confidence within the group that we can really go and do something.”
Uganda qualified after dispatching Somalia 7-2 on aggregate and then ousting Burundi 6-0 to advance via the Central Eastern Zone qualifiers, which took place between July and October 2019.
“The mantra we’ve adopted within the group is ‘why not us?’” McKinstry continued. “Why can it not be us that go deep into this tournament?”
Rwanda v Uganda â East African CHAN Derby
East African neighbors Rwanda and Uganda lock horns at Stade de le Reunification in Douala as the CECAFA rivals start their Total African Nations Championship (CHAN), Cameroon 2020 campaign on Monday in the frame of Group C of the tournament designed exclusively for domestic based players.
Perhaps the attraction of the match will be on the sidelines. Northern Irishman Johnny McKinstry, who led Rwanda to the quarterfinals at home in 2016 is back to CHAN, but this time as the coach of Uganda. And ironically, he will start the campaign against his old friends.
Uganda seeks success in their Total CHAN 2020 first mission, in a group that also includes title holders Morocco and debutants Togo.
He must have fully headed himself into Cranes coach Johnny McKinstry’s books that evening when he came off the bench to score Ugandan’s winner in November. The Uganda Cranes has struggled to breach a stubborn South Sudan at St Mary’s Kitende in this Afcon qualifier last last year until Halid Lwaliwa headed home Faruku Miya’s free kick five minutes from time. That, plus his leadership qualities exhibited in leading Vipers to last season’s league.
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