The Gambia national football team coach, Johnathan McKinstry, expects a tough match when the Scorpions take on Kenya's Harambee Stars in a 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifying match at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, on September 5, 2025.
The match will kick off at 4 pm.
McKinstry, who led Gor Mahia to two league titles and a FKF Charity Shield before taking over at The Gambia in June last year, is familiar with Kenyan football but will not be expecting a friendly reception at Kasarani on Friday.
"It is always nice to come back to Kenya, but I am here for business. Our aim here is to collect three points, but we know it will not be easy. We expect a hostile environment. Kenyans will come in the tens of thousands to support Harambee Stars like we saw in the Chan tournament," the 40-year-old Northern Irishman, who also coached the national teams of Uganda and Rwanda, said.
"Of course, Kasarani holds a lot of good memories for me. It is where I lifted a league and FKF Charity Shield trophy with Gor Mahia. However, all of that does not count for anything now. We have to go out, put on a performance and try to win the game," McKinstry added.
Johnathan McKinstry.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
McKinstry was speaking during a press briefing at the Kasarani Annex on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, before his team's first training session since their arrival in the country on Monday.
McKinstry also praised how South African Benni McCarthy has improved Harambee Stars since he was appointed head coach in March 2025. McCarthy's first match in charge was a dramatic 3-3 draw against The Gambia in the first leg of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier, the West Africans hosted in Abidjan on March 20. Harambee Stars snatched a late draw after first trailing 2-0 and then 3-2.
"I like that McCarthy is giving chances to domestic players. From my time here, I noticed that the Kenyan league has talented players and they deserve to play in the national team because Kenya has few professionals playing abroad," McKinstry said.
"Also, McCarthy has instilled a never-say-die attitude in Harambee Stars. We saw it during Chan 2024, and when we played against them in March. They fought until the end and snatched a draw that left us frustrated. Previous Harambee Stars squads lacked that fighting spirit and would have given up at 2-0. So, we have to be at our best to get a result," he added.
Harambee Stars' players Ryan Ogam and Alphonce Omija train at Utalii Sports Club on September 1, 2025.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
Unlike McCarthy, who named 13 home-based players in his 23-man squad, McKinstry's squad of 24 players is made up of foreign-based players.
McKinstry, The Gambia has a youthful league and a pool of 250 players playing in foreign leagues, which informed his team’s selection criteria.
"The Gambian league has very young players. Most of our best players leave for foreign clubs when they are 18," he said.
"Out of the 250 Gambian players playing abroad, 220 of them were born and raised in The Gambia. In the squad that I have here, only six were born abroad," he added.
Brighton and Hove Albion's 21-year-old winger Yankuba Minteh is one of the 18 Gambian-born players in McKinstry’s team. He left The Gambia to join Danish club OB when he was 18. His journey to Brighton took him through English Club Newcastle United and a loan spell at Dutch club Feyenoord.
Minteh said: "We are here to win. We know it will not be easy because Kenya will enjoy home advantage."
Minteh is approaching the match against Harambee Stars with renewed energy after he was named the man of the match in his club's recent 2-1 win over Manchester City. However, he does not think form will matter on Friday.
"There is a motivation that comes with being on form, but it does not matter much. What matters is giving 100 per cent in every match," he said.
Minteh was one of The Gambia's scorers during the 3-3 draw against Kenya in the match. His strike partner, Musa Barrow, scored a brace despite missing a penalty.
"Barrow is a good player. He makes the game easy and he is very supportive," Minteh said of his partnership with Barrow, who plays for Al Taawoun in the Saudi Pro League.
After playing Kenya, The Gambia will host Burundi at the Nyayo National Stadium on September 9. The match will kick off at 10 pm.
McKinstry said they are playing the match in Nairobi because their stadium in Banjul, The Gambia's capital, is undergoing renovation. They also want to reduce fatigue in players due to travel.
With four matches remaining, qualification to the 2026 Fifa World Cup is a long shot for both Kenya and The Gambia.
Harambee Stars are fourth in Group ‘F’ with six points from as many matches. They have only one win so far – against Seychelles in November last year. Their other five matches produced three draws (against Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, and The Gambia) and home and away losses to Gabon.
Cote d’Ivoire lead the group with 16 points. Gabon are second with 15 points, followed by Burundi, who have 10 points.
