Engin Firat Calls for Enhanced Infrastructure and Support for Harambee Stars

• Engin Firat has urged the government to view the 2027 AFCON as a legacy project
• The Harambee Stars boss said it is necessary to upgrade pitches to international standards
• Firat has called for increased support rather than criticism and defended his tenure

Harambee Stars' head coach, Engin Firat, is advocating for improved sporting infrastructure and a reduction in the blame game to make Kenyan football successful.

Firat has urged the government to consider the 2027 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) as a legacy project, explicitly focusing on upgrading facilities.

He stressed the importance of renovating and rehabilitating pitches to international standards, asserting that this improvement will contribute significantly to the game's growth.

Firat has highlighted the current challenge where many matches in the FKF Premier League, National Super League, and Women’s Premier League are played on deteriorating pitches.

Tusker Striker Joshua Ibrahim Named in Tanzania’s AFCON 2023 Provisional Squad

Football

“Most people complain that we play long balls. How do you execute short passes and make runs on a terrible pitch? Kasarani Stadium, Kasarani Annex and Nyayo Stadium are the only conducive facilities for national team training and competition...” Firat said as quoted on Star Sports.

The Turkish coach stressed that there are no shortcuts to success and questioned how the team can execute good passes and make runs on subpar pitches.

He recently received the Best Turkish Coach Abroad 2023 title, underscoring the significance of playing high-profile friendlies against teams like Iran, Qatar, and Russia.

Firat has advocated for creating complexes with standard training grounds in every country, drawing from his experience training in Turkey, as reported on Radio Jambo.

Responding to comparisons with past coaching regimes, he has challenged the narrative, stressing that circumstances have changed. He called for support rather than criticism, stating that the team needed encouragement to succeed.

FIFA Rankings: Harambee Stars Conclude 2023 In Unchanged 110th Position

Football

Speaking on his short-term goals, Firat has aimed to deliver strong performances in the World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Looking ahead, his long-term vision is to guide Harambee Stars to their first-ever second-round appearance at the AFCON, particularly in the home edition of the tournament in 2027.

Exciting news! We have a WhatsApp channel 🤩

➡️ Click to join our channel for all your favourite sports news.

Firat laments Kenya's lack of creativity

Sports Brief reported when Firat claimed that Kenya lacks creative players following the damaging defeat to South Sudan on Tuesday, September 12.

The national football team went down to Africa's youngest nation by a solitary goal in front of a well-attended game at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

Speaking after the South Sudan defeat, Firat went into a tirade, blaming poor working conditions as a detriment to his goal.