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Firat urges Kenyan players like Benson Omala to embrace growth and ambition for national team success.
Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat shared his honest assessment of what local players like Gor Mahia’s Benson Omala must do to earn more caps in future assignments.
Omala was left out of the final squad that traveled to Tehran to play against Iran in March, where they lost 2-1 to the 24th-ranked side globally which sparked heated debate amongst incandescent Kenyan fans, with some Kenyan media houses even branding his exclusion “as an insult to the country”.
A clearly aghast Firat openly questioned the media as to why no one was complaining about Kenya Police’s Elvis Rupia being left out of the squad
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“Sometimes I get really confused because in the last camp, there was the goal-getter number one (Omala) but who did not make the final squad,” he started. “Everyone wrote about it being ‘an insult to the country’ and some other racist comments in all the shows we had,” he added.
“Now I am looking around. Elvis Rupia has (around) the same amount of goals and more assists, therefore, Elvis is one step ahead statistically, but I did not read a single word (about his omission).
“Of course we all know somebody who did it, but we need to put a finger on it and ask who made it, who wants it, and who wants the better organization here. At some point, we have to clear for the future too.”
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The former Eintracht Frankfurt assistant coach also explained what Omala needs to do in order to become a top player for the national team and potentially, professionally in thefuture.
“Benson came to me and I explained to him about some parts where he has to grow up, how he can be better because he is a talented young boy who needs time, he needs to learn. I will share with him what I shared with other Gor Mahia players as well.
“They have to learn where they are. Gor Mahia is a big club with a rich history and a powerhouse in Africa. If these boys are only happy with being Champions in Kenya (alone) , then we have a huge problem.
“The players have to open their minds and envision bigger aims. I told him that if he was only happy to win against teams which -and you know better than me- are not even sleeping in a hotel but sleep in buses and do not even have anything to eat before you play them, you cannot (be content).”
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The head coach has also challenged all players to strive to achieve great things with their teams beyond the borders and in continental competitions.
“It is easy to become champion at Gor Mahia. They told me that there was a Turkish man (Hassan Oktay) in charge two years ago, and I had never even heard of him because he was never a player in Europe before.”
Oktay famously led Gor Mahia to the quarter-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup in 2019, and Firat believes Omala can help Gor Mahia do that again in the near future.
“I told them, boys, you have to go to CAF competitions with Gor Mahia which is another level, show yourselves there so it has a positive impact directly on the national team because you bring the self-confidence and experience back to the national team which has a big impact on it.
“This is what I want to make the players have, to have more vision and not think about winning in Kenya alone. Not Gor Mahia alone, (but every club as well). Gor Mahia has a rich history. It won (the CAF Cup winners cup in 1987) before, but if Yanga can reach the final, we can also reach the final!”
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