Former Gor Mahia coach and current Gambia head coach, Johnathan McKinstry, has delivered a blunt assessment of Kenyan footballers, comparing their aspirations and drive to their West African counterparts. Having coached in both East and West Africa, McKinstry believes the difference is not just about talent but about hunger and ambition.
McKinstry emphasized that young players in West African countries such as Ghana, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia have an almost desperate need to secure moves abroad. He observed that these players do not aspire to remain in their domestic leagues but rather seek opportunities at a professional level overseas, even if it means enduring hardships and starting in lower-tier European leagues as stepping stones to bigger clubs.
“When you come to East Africa in general, including Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda, the hunger isn’t the same. I’ve been in Sierra Leone, Ghana, and The Gambia, and in West Africa, young footballers simply must make it,” he noted.
Kenya has produced notable football exports such as Michael Olunga, former captain Victor Wanyama, and McDonald Mariga, who now serves as the Football Kenya Federation Vice President. However, compared to West Africa, the number of Kenyan players in Europe’s top leagues remains significantly lower.
McKinstry highlighted the fact that West African players are willing to take financial risks early in their careers, prioritizing exposure to a professional football environment over immediate financial gain. “They don’t want to, at 15 years old, play in the Ghanaian Premier League or the Sierra Leone Premier League or the Gambian Premier League. That’s not their ambition. They need—it’s not just a want—to go and play at that professional level, and they’re willing to suffer for it.”
He pointed out that East African players, particularly in Kenya, often lack the same level of sacrifice and urgency. One of the reasons for this, according to him, is the relatively better financial security offered by local clubs. “And finances don’t really come into it early on. Yes, they want to be able to earn some money to eat and to live, but they’re willing to take a very small package so that they get into a professional environment where it gives them a better springboard. I think in Kenya, and I think in East Africa, a lot of young players want to go to a top level, but I don’t think they’re necessarily willing to sacrifice what needs to be sacrificed for it.”
He further noted that Kenyan clubs like Gor Mahia, Bandari, and Police offer relatively decent wages, making it easier for players to settle for domestic football rather than push for opportunities abroad. “The money that clubs like Gor Mahia are paying, the likes of Bandari, Police are paying, is decent money. And so then it’s okay, players sort of say, well, I’ll take that three or four-year contract, and I’ll stay here for my entire career.”
While McKinstry acknowledged that this is beneficial for the development of the local leagues, he warned that it might hinder the discovery of standout talents capable of elevating Kenyan football on the international stage. “And yes, that’s going to improve the levels of the league, but it’s maybe not going to find that one or two rough diamonds and take them. That’s not saying they don’t exist; there are some young Kenyans who have that mindset, but for a country of the population size, I don’t think there are as many.”
McKinstry recently coached a Gambia side that played to a thrilling 3-3 draw against Kenya’s Harambee Stars during the March International Break. His observations serve as a wake-up call for young Kenyan players, urging them to embrace a greater sense of urgency and sacrifice if they hope to break into the highly competitive European football market.
