NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 7 – On a two-month contract, the next two matches will have a huge bearing on whether Turkish tactician Engin Firat will stay on as the Harambee Stars head coach beyond the four matches he has been assigned.
The tactician, formerly with Moldova, was brought on board by the Football Kenya Federation to take Stars through the qualifiers and FKF boss Nick Mwendwa said his future will hinge on Kenya’s performance in the qualifiers.
“I wouldn’t have accepted to come if I didn’t believe that Kenya can qualify. I believe it can be done and that is why I am here,” Firat said when he was named new coach, replacing Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee who left after two matches, back to back draws with Rwanda and Uganda.
And now, Firat faces a huge match as his debut for Kenya, a fixture against a talent laden Mali side in Agadir, Morocco.
Harambee Stars training in Agadir, Morocco. PHOTO/FKF
At least four points from the back to back fixtures against the West Africans will endear the coach to the Kenyan fans and by large his employer, FKF.
This will mean that Stars will have a chance to top Group E with two matches in the qualification round left. The Mali game on Thursday night, will by far be the most important of the four fixtures left.
The tactician says he is pleased with how the team has responded to his tactics, though he remains cautious on the fitness of the team especially the local based players.
“The foreign based players are used to this kind of intensity but there is a little concern with those who play in the local league. That is why we must have a good balance between the two,” the coach said after the squad’s final training session in Morocco.
Despite training the full squad for only two days, the tactician says he feels they are ready to take on a massive opponent.
“We will do our best to do a good job and get people satisfied. The most important thing is how we play against a top team and I have a feeling we are ready. We have trained well and tried to get everyone on board,” Firat said after the team’s final training session in Morocco.
Harambee Stars in training. PHOTO/FKF
He adds; “We can’t win a match by luck and that is why we need to play good football and that is the main point. We need to show that we are able to play against a top team and get a good result.”
Firat has recalled some players overlooked by his predecessor, giving an opportunity to Abud Omar, David ‘Calabar’ Odhiambo and Gonzalez Ismail who have not played for Kenya since the 2019 Cup of Nations.
Will his side start off on a winning note or will he be checked into reality by the Malians?
