Firat confident despite Harambee Stars’ loss to Mauritius
By Joel Sang, June 19, 2023Engin Firat is optimistic despite Harambee Stars’ 1-0 defeat to Mauritius on Sunday, June 18, 2023.
The loss was Kenya’s first in the Four-Nations tournament after their initial 1-0 loss to Pakistan in the opening game.
To Firat, the tournament served as a platform to identify players who are ready to serve the national side.
Firat’s objective
“We aim to try out players who are eligible to play for us. We are here to see which players will help us in the long run, and who will step up when given the opportunity.
“The purpose of the camp was not only to secure victories but also to explore new players, different positions, and alternative team formations,” Firat said after the match, as quoted by a local media outlet.
The tactician said the match also served to identify the weaknesses and strengths of his players.
“There are areas that need improvement to ensure a smoother journey ahead. We learned more about our strengths, weaknesses, and potential solutions for the future.
“My primary objective is to identify players who can contribute significantly to Kenya’s success in the future,” he continued.
Kakamega Homeboyz’s forward Moses Shummah was picked out by the coach as an example of the players who impressed.
Shummah was the scorer of the goal that gave Kenya the win over Pakistan on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. That remains the only goal that the Harambee Stars scored in the tournament.
“Shummah is an example of a player who has proven his potential to succeed on the big stage.
“We are improving by the day, and I believe with more tournaments of this nature, we shall be able to prepare well for the qualifiers that will begin in September,” Firat continued.
Despite impressing in the match against Pakistan, Shummah was dropped when Firat drafted the starting XI for the second game.
Instead, Benson Omalla was given his senior debut but was withdrawn when the second half started and Shummah was thrown into action.
The 19-year-old Homeboyz forward was substituted late in the second half as Daniel Anyembe was initially given some minutes to feature against Pakistan.
The dismal performance comes as Harambee Stars are expected to feature in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers.
Kenya missed the previous edition, which was held in Cameroon, after fumbling in the qualifiers. Their last participation was in the 2019 edition that was held in Egypt, and they crashed out at the preliminary stage.
They will also not be taking part in the edition that will be held in Ivory Coast next year because, at the time the qualifiers were going on, Harambee Stars and Zimbabwe were serving suspensions imposed by FIFA.
FIFA has already lifted the ban and paved the way for Kenya’s participation in the next qualifiers, and the Four-Nations tournament was used to gauge the players’ readiness in terms of psychological and physical levels.
But the performance, according to critics and pundits, has not been inspiring at all. Kenya were beaten 2-1 by Iran on Tuesday, March 28 in Tehran, before the Four-Nations was planned.
In Mauritius, they came third after Djibouti, the hosts were second, and Pakistan were fourth.
Firat has always called for high-profile friendlies for the national team, as he insists he wants to build a strong side that will compete at higher levels.
To him, time and patience will be key as he hopes to transform the national team. But the performance in Mauritius will always be cited by his critics.
Good performance will only work to shield him from intense criticism.