Firat rallies Stars for final dash to 2025 Afcon qualifiers finish line
From left, Harambee Stars goalkeepers Faruk Shikhalo, Bryne Odhiambo and striker Jonah Ayunga go through a stretching session in Polokwane, South Africa on November 12, 2024 ahead of their 2025 Afcon qualifying clash against Zimbabwe on Friday.
What you need to know:
- Anticipating the two teams to sit deep and capitalise on counter attacks, Firat said that they will have to “push” for a win.
- “They will try to close the game and play on time. We are aware of this and we have our ideas on how to open the game and capitalise on their weak sides,” said the Turkish coach.
Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat has rallied the players to fight as a unit when they face Zimbabwe and Namibia in their last two 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers Group “J” matches.
Kenya face hosts Zimbabwe on Friday at the 46,000-seater Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane in Limpopo province, South Africa from 6 pm local time (7 pm Kenyan time).
Five days later, Harambee Stars will clash with Namibia at the same venue from 3pm local time (4 pm Kenyan time).
Kenya must win both fixtures to stand any chance of qualifying for the African finals
“The reality is that we don’t have players in top leagues in Europe therefore it is very important that we have a united team for these games,” said Firat on Monday morning before the team left Nairobi for Johannesburg in South Africa.
Cameroon top the group with 10 points, two more than second-placed Zimbabwe. Kenya lie third with four points, while win-less Namibia are bottom with zero points.
For Kenya to secure a ticket to the 2025 Afcon in Morocco, they must win the two matches and pray that Zimbabwe lose or draw against Cameroon.
Firat has selected a strong 24-man squad for the assignments, with defender Amos Wanjala and midfielder Leshan Mootian earning their maiden senior national team call ups.
Wanjala, 19, who plays for Spanish fifth tier side Athletic Club Torrellano guided Kenya Under-20 team to a second place finish in the Cecafa U-20 Championship held last month in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Mootian turns out for Ulinzi Stars in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League.
Firat had bemoaned Zimbabwe’s decision to host them in Polokwane, saying the long travel to the capital city of Limpopo will take a heavy toll on his players.
After landing at Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Mondaymorning, the team took a four-hour bus ride to Polokwane, some 319km away.
Firat said challenges in travel logistics to Polokwane was what influenced their decision to host Namibia at Peter Mokaba Stadium and not Mandela National Stadium in Kampala as they had originally planned.
Harambee Stars have been playing their home matches in Kampala since Kenya lacks a stadium that meets the required Fifa and CAF standards to host an international fixture.
“It is only one flight per day from Polokwane to Johannesburg. This would mean that if we play in Uganda, you can be sure that Namibia will arrive there earlier than us.
“When you think that we have only three days in between (the matches), we would be destroyed when we arrive in Uganda,” said the coach.
Anticipating the two teams to sit deep and capitalise on counter attacks, Firat said that they will have to “push” for a win.
“They will try to close the game and play on time. We are aware of this and we have our ideas on how to open the game and capitalise on their weak sides,” said the Turkish coach.
