Football
FKF Urged to Sack Engin Firat Following Harambee Stars Defeat to South Sudan
Harambee Stars legends slam coach Engin Firat after shocking CHAN qualifiers defeat to South Sudan. Calls rise for FKF to sack Firat and hire a "competent successor" to salvage Kenya's footballing future.
Image Credits: Mozzartbet Kenya
Three Harambee Stars legends have petitioned Football Kenya Federation to sack coach Engin Firat following the embarrassing 2-0 defeat to South Sudan last weekend.
Stars suffered the shocking defeat to South Sudan in the first leg of the 2025 CHAN qualifiers' opening round at Juba Stadium, much to the disappointment of fans, who continue to call for the termination of Firat's contract.
The Kenyan team was expected to give the Bright Stars a thorough beating, owing to the rift of class between the quality of players and domestic leagues, but the hosts made good use of home advantage to add salt to Stars' injuries.
Stars were also expected to use the match and redeem themselves, restore hope and confidence to Kenyans following the back-to-back 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers defeat to Cameroon, but were humiliated again.
Kenya will have to win the return match, set for this weekend in Uganda, by a bigger margin to make it to the final round of the qualifiers where they will face either Rwanda or Djibouti.
The team has the CHAN ticket in their pocket by being one of the three host nations for the tournament set to run between February 1-28 in Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Kampala.
TIME IS RIPE FOR A NEW COACH
Reacting to the defeat in an exclusive interview with SportsBoom.com, former striker Allan Wanga said the result was enough to get rid of Firat and hire a competent successor, who will help reclaim the lost glory.
Wanga said it was imperative to bring in a new manager to save the country the shame of an early exit from the CHAN tournament and salvage something from the remaining AFCON qualifiers.
He struggled to make sense of FKF's patience with Firat yet his poor record in competitive matches since his appointment in September 2021 was there for all to see.
Under the Turkish, Stars have won a paltry three matches at the competitive level, a record that raises significant concerns over his suitability for the job.
FKF should put the house in order as quickly as possible as we are not making any progress. We have to make changes in time if we are to do well in the CHAN tournament. Three wins in competitive matches is simply unacceptable.
Allan Wanga
FKF SHOULD STOP HIRING CHEAP COACHES
Looking at Firat's record and the recent defeat to South Sudan, former player Tobias Ocholla alleged that the country was reaping the fruits of hiring a cheap coach.
Ocholla said losing to the youngest football team in the continent was a serious red flag that should not be swept under the carpet like the previous defeats against beatable teams.
Even though he steered clear on whether Firat should be fired, Ocholla faulted FKF for employing Firat yet his record in his previous workstations were questionable.
The immediate former Kenyatta University Hardnuts coach said it was only fair to hire an expensive coach, who would get the best of the players whom he described as good enough to win matches.
He also challenged FKF to make the hiring process as transparent as possible by laying bare the qualifications to be met and deliverables.
“We are getting what we deserve as we hired a cheap coach. If you hire a good coach with a track record, then you can demand results. FKF hould take the issue of employing national team coaches seriously by doing a thorough background search, and following the hiring process to the letter," he said.
The former Gor Mahia player asked Firat to cut on the big talk and focus on delivering positive results should his employer stick to his services.
What we see on the pitch doesn't reflect the potential of our players yet the coach talks big
Allan Wanga
LOSING TO SOUTH SUDAN IS EMBARRASSING
The defeat in Juba did not sit well with former coach James Nandwa, who regretted that the team was not moving in the right direction.
Nandwa laid the blame on Firat, for the casual approach to the match and failing to understand what it meant to fly the Kenyan flag out there and the emotions fans have invested in the team.
The former Stars coach said he was disturbed by Firat's comments on the significance of host nations playing qualifier matches, and his attitude towards the encounter against Bright Stars.
"It is an embarrassment to lose to South Sudan. Their league is not as vibrant and competitive as ours. Our players are better than theirs, yet they managed to beat us. It is a sign that we are not heading in the right direction. I was disturbed to hear Firat say the qualifiers don't make sense to him which is so wrong. That is an opportunity to show what the country has to offer among other things," said the former player.
Nandwa also took issue with FKF for failing to lay strong football structures and for a long dalliance with Firat despite his poor track record with Stars.
“During our time, such a loss was enough to get you out of the Stars bench. You couldn't have the luxury of losing two consecutive matches. I don't know what has changed nowadays even when the results are there for all to see. If you look at how all our national teams are performing, you will realise there is a problem with our structures," he added.
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