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Kenya have played Zimbabwe thrice this year, winning two and drawing one, but Firat is a worried man ahead of the side's must-win encounter on Friday to even stand a chance of qualification.
Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has pinpointed two major concerns as Kenya gears up for its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Zimbabwe: the team’s finishing and the pressure both sides will face under high-stakes conditions.
Firat, speaking from the Peter Makoba Stadium on Thursday evening, expressed worry over the Harambee Stars' lack of firepower up front, particularly in the absence of key players Ayub Timbe and Masoud Juma.
“Scoring has been a big concern for the team, and it has something to do with quality,” Firat stated. “The absence of Timbe and Juma due to long-term injuries has denied us creativity offensively.”
The sidelining of Timbe and Juma, both crucial to Kenya’s attacking efforts, has undoubtedly impacted the team.
Timbe was last called up in June for World Cup qualifiers against Ivory Coast and Burundi but had to withdraw with an ankle injury and hasn’t played for club or country since.
Meanwhile, Juma is still on the mend after sustaining a serious Achilles tendon injury in January. The Harambee Stars’ coaching team has been actively searching for solutions to address this setback, hoping their strategies will translate to goals on Friday.
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05:45 - 15.11.2024
Predicted Harambee Stars line up for must-win AFCON 2025 qualifying clash against Zimbabwe
Predicted Harambee Stars line up as they prepare to face Zimbabwe in their must-win 2025 AFCON qualifier in South Africa on Friday.
Kenya have played Zimbabwe thrice this year. They beat them 3-1 during the Malawi Four Nations Tournament, and then 2-0 in South Africa during the 2024 COSAFA Cup, before drawing 0-0 in Kampala this September during the first leg of the AFCON 2025 Group J qualifiers.
Together with his technical bench, Firat shared that they are actively working on methods to improve the team’s attacking approach. “We have come up with several solutions and believe that if it works, we will have a positive result on Friday,” he explained.
In addition to concerns over finishing, Firat highlighted the immense pressure surrounding the game, acknowledging that both teams will be feeling the heat to perform.
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05:30 - 15.11.2024
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“No one is a favourite, and the results on Friday will depend on who handles the pressure better,” he remarked. Firat also referenced recent performances, noting that while Kenya had strong showings in their previous matches — a victory over Malawi in March and a commendable performance in Uganda — Zimbabwe’s quick transitions and fast play remain a challenge.
“They are very fast and quick on transition,” Firat said of the Zimbabwean team. “We expect them to stay deep, and we must risk in order to get the results that we want.”
With the Peter Makoba Stadium just 200 kilometers from the Zimbabwean border, a substantial turnout of Zimbabwean fans is anticipated. However, Firat is unfazed by the idea of playing in front of a mostly opposition crowd, viewing it instead as an opportunity for his team to prove their mettle under intense conditions.
“We are used to it, and sometimes it is good to subject our players to such kind of pressure to see what they are made of,” he concluded.
As Kenya prepares for this critical clash, Firat’s focus remains on overcoming these two primary challenges — shoring up their offensive game and maintaining composure amid the pressure — in pursuit of a vital victory on Friday.
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