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Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has criticized refereeing decisions following Harambee Stars' 4-1 loss to Cameroon in AFCON qualifiers.
Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has slammed the referees following Kenya's 4-1 loss to Cameroon in a one-sided Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier played at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaoundé on Friday night.
The defeat leaves Kenya in a precarious position, sitting third in Group J with four points, while group leaders Cameroon moved three points clear with seven from three matches.
Despite the overwhelming loss, Firat’s frustration centered not only on his team's defensive errors but on what he described as poor officiating by the Senegalese refereeing team.
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06:00 - 12.10.2024
AFCON 2025 qualifiers: Harambee Stars and curious case of 39.3% possession
Harambee Stars' AFCON qualifier against Cameroon ended in a 4-1 loss with a controversial penalty raising eyebrows early on.
The Turkish gaffer expressed disbelief at the way the game was handled, particularly regarding Cameroon’s opening goal, which came from a contentious penalty decision.
"I've never in my life seen a handball penalty where the referee doesn't give a yellow card. Have you ever seen that? It's not possible. So, he clearly didn't know what he was doing," Firat said, referencing a decision made by central referee Issa Sy that led to Cameroon's early lead.
"When I asked the referees a question, they spoke English. But when I asked again, they answered, 'Je parle français' (We speak French). I have no idea what was going on there," Firat added, clearly agitated.
Cameroon started the match on the front foot, with captain Vincent Aboubakar converting the controversial penalty in the eighth minute after Harambee Stars defender Eric Ouma was adjudged to have committed a handball in the box.
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11:45 - 12.10.2024
Four things learnt from Harambee Stars' mauling at the hands of Cameroon
Things learnt from Harambee Stars' battering at the hands of Cameroon in Yaounde that need addressing ahead of Monday's re-clash in Kampala
Aboubakar sent Matasi the wrong way handing the Indomitable Lions a 1-0 lead.
Kenya struggled to find rhythm in the first half, and their defensive frailties were exposed once again when a goalkeeping error gifted Cameroon their second goal.
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In the 39th minute, a seemingly innocuous shot from Martin Hongla slipped through Matasi’s hands and into the net, leaving the Harambee Stars 2-0 down.
Kenyan captain Michael Olunga momentarily reignited hope for his side when he scored just two minutes later, capitalizing on a quick attack to pull one back and make it 2-1.
21:40 - 11.10.2024
Harambee Stars player ratings: How did they perform in humbling defeat to Cristian Bassogog-inspired Cameroon?
Harambee Stars were torn apart by a star-studded Cameroon on Friday evening, but how did the players fare?
However, that brief respite was swiftly erased as Cameroon responded immediately, with Christian Bassogog breaking free on the left flank and setting up Bryan Mbeumo to restore the two-goal advantage before halftime.
"We made too many mistakes, especially with the first goal, but in the end, Cameroon played well," Firat said, analyzing the match.
"Bassogog was exceptional today. I've never seen him so active as he was in this match. We trained for these transitions, but it didn't matter in the final moments."
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10:30 - 12.10.2024
‘He has everything’ – Former Harambee Stars coach questions Engin Firat’s tactics after Cameroon hammering
The former Harambee Stars coach feels Engin Firat should play a more attacking style of football given the kind of resources he has at his disposal.
In the second half, Firat made tactical changes, including the introduction of Joseph Okumu for Amos Nondi, but it did little to stop the Cameroonian onslaught.
Bassogog, who had been a constant threat throughout the match, scored his second goal of the night after receiving a pass from Hongla and easily slotting the ball past a stranded Matasi in the 56th minute to seal the 4-1 victory.
Firat acknowledged that Cameroon deserved the win but maintained that the referees’ decisions had an impact on the game. "
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07:30 - 12.10.2024
McDonald Mariga's ambitious blueprint to transform Kenyan football as he teams up with Hussein Mohammed
Former Inter Milan midfielder McDonald Mariga has an elaborate plan that he hopes will transform Kenyan football after being unveiled as Hussein Mohammed’s running mate.
At this point, maybe we were also a bit unlucky. But this is football, and sometimes things don’t go your way," he concluded.
Kenya now faces an uphill task as they prepare to host Cameroon in the return leg on Monday at Mandela National Stadium in Uganda.
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