Firat rings the changes ahead of Chan qualifiers second leg

After a disappointing 2-0 loss to South Sudan in the first leg of the 2024 African Nations Championship (Chan) first round qualifiers, Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat has overhauled the squad with hopes of securing a decisive turnaround.

Firat has made 11 changes to the squad ahead of the second-leg clash on Sunday, where Kenya needs a 3-0 win to advance or, failing that, a 2-0 result to force a penalty shootout to advance to the second round. Kenya, though has already qualified for next year's finals as co-hosts alongside Tanzania and Uganda.

Chan is Africa’s second-tier football tournament, exclusively for players who compete in their respective countries' domestic leagues.

The high-stakes game will take place at Uganda’s Mandela National Stadium, with Kenya unable to host at home due to a lack of FIFA-accredited venues.

The first-leg defeat, played last weekend at Juba International Stadium, shocked fans and sparked criticism of the 53-year-old Turkish coach.

Under pressure to turn things around, Firat has dropped several players, including Rising Stars’ U-20 goalkeeper Ibrahim ‘Babu’ Wanzala, who recently earned the Golden Glove at the Cecafa U-20 tournament in Tanzania.

Firat also cut veteran players like Gor Mahia defender Alphonce Omija and Musa Mohammed of Kenya Police FC. New faces in the lineup include defenders Abud Omar and Siraj Mohammed, midfielders Fidel Origa and Caleb Olilo, and forward Francis Kahiro, marking a fresh approach as Firat seeks a winning formula for the rematch.

In response to the backlash, Firat defended his players and coaching decisions, citing limited preparation time as a significant factor in the team's performance.

“We had only one training session before the game, which is not enough,” he remarked. Firat also questioned the need for Chan qualifiers as they are already guaranteed spots in the tournament as host nations for the event, set to take place from February 1 to 28, 2025.

“This kind of match doesn’t make sense to me. I have professional players used to playing for something, but here they have nothing to play for. It’s affecting them,” he added.

Hrambee Stars arrived in Kampala early Thursday morning and are due to hold their first training session this evening.

Firat instructed players to take more risks and play assertively, expressing hope for a spirited comeback. The team will train twice on Friday and will get a final feel of the stadium on Saturday evening before taking on South Sudan.

The aggregate winner between Kenya and South Sudan will move on to the final qualification stage, facing either Djibouti or Rwanda in December. Since Chan's inception in 2009, Kenya has yet to qualify for the tournament.