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Newly appointed President of the Football Kenya Federation Hussein Mohammed has confirmed the resignation of the National Team head coach Engin Firat.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, Hussein announced that he had received a notice from the Turkish gaffer terminating his contract this week.

Following Firat’s resignation, FKF President Hussein who took over the instruments of power from Nick Mwendwa in a tightly contested race, assured the country the football governing body had taken into consideration the matter and would give a way forward after deliberations with other stakeholders and the National Executive (NEC) members.

“I would like to point out that the national team coach terminated his contract through a notice that was issued at the beginning of this week and it was important to convene the media and inform all Kenyans that as we speak today he opted to terminate his contract with the federation and we will be looking at alternative and a way forward,” Hussein stated.

Hussein informed the country that Firat was on a four-year contract which was signed in November 2021. Part of his deliverables was to help Harambee Stars qualify for the 34 and 35 editions of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).

“Football Kenya Federation (FKF) is in receipt of a communication from national team coach Engin Firat the first of a notice of termination of his contract entered in November 2021. The matter has since been forwarded to the FKF Executive for review and deliberation,” Hussein announced while starting his media address.

“FKF wishes to move with speed to address the matter at hand and in due course we will provide direction on the same after internal consultation. Firat initially entered a two-month contract with FKF in September 2021 that later earned four years and two two-month extension until January 2026.

“Part of his deliverables included qualifying for the 34th edition of the 2023 African Cup of Nations as well as the 35th edition of AFCON 2025 which could have earned him a further two-year extension,” he detailed.

Prepare for CHAN

His exit comes at a time when the country is preparing to take part in the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) which Kenya is co-hosting alongside Uganda and Tanzania.

In his address to the nation, the FKF president alongside his deputy Macdonald Mariga and FKF CEO Patrick Korir, pledged to move with speed and help assemble a team that would help Harambee Stars post impressive results.

Under Firat’s watch, Kenya failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and was bundled out of the qualification process of the delayed 2024 African Cations Championships (CHAN).

Kenya was bundled out of the qualifiers of the 2025 Afcon after finishing third in Group ‘J’ behind Cameroon and Zimbabwe.

Cameroon and Zimbabwe finished on top of the group and qualified to play in Africa’s premier national football team tournament.

For CHAN, Kenya will take part in the tournament for the courtesy of being a host country.