Harambee Stars Head Coach Engin Firat Discloses Plans for Friendlies With France, Italy

• Kenya's national football team boss, Engin Firat, is aiming to secure high-profile friendlies
• Firat has been responsible for the friendlies against Iran, Qatar and Russia this year
• Kenya won one and lost one in the first two matches of the World Cup qualifiers

Harambee Stars' Head Coach Engin Firat recently revealed a daring plan to have an international friendly match against big teams like France and Italy.

Firat took credit for organising the high-profile matches that the country has played since its ban by the world governing body, FIFA, was lifted late last year.

Kenya's football team lost 2-1 to Iran in March before beating Qatar, the 2022 World Cup hosts. They then held Russia, the 2018 World Cup hosts, in Turkey last month. All these teams are ranked higher than Kenya on FIFA's country ranking.

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The games. coupled with the disappointing defeat to minnows South Sudan in Nairobi, were to help the team prepare for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, given that they missed out on qualification for AFCON 2024.

Kenya to face France or Italy?

Firat has now detailed a plan to continue using his contacts to secure a friendly with France or Italy in the coming months.

"I have the ability to organise all this through my personal contacts, and next summer, I plan to secure a match against a big team, probably former world champions France or Italy. Some people may think it’s a pipe dream, but through my close contacts, it will happen," he told People Daily.

Only Brazil have won more World Cups than Italy, while France are two-time champions, their latest one coming in 2018 before heartbreak in the final last year.

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Sports Brief has also reported that as Kenya's national football team coach, Engin Firat, boarded the flight to Franceville on November 15, he reiterated that World Cup qualifiers were a marathon - not a sprint.

The team's social media handles echoed the same message after their narrow and agonising defeat to Gabon. A last-gasp ferocious strike from Guelor Kanga sunk the Kenyans' hopes of getting what would be a vital point away from home.

Amends were quickly made, with Harambee Stars putting in a five-goal performance against the group's lowest-ranked nation, Seychelles.