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Engin Firat has revealed one key factor that could help his charges shock Cameroon in October after they moved to the top of Group J of their AFCON 2025 qualifiers.
Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat is optimistic that his team can put up a strong performance against Cameroon in their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
Kenya, fresh off a 2-1 victory over Namibia, now tops Group J as they prepare for their double-header against the Indomitable Lions in October.
The triumph over Namibia at Orlando Stadium, Johannesburg, lifted Kenya to four points, level with Cameroon, who were held to a goalless draw by Zimbabwe in Kampala, Uganda. With the race for qualification to the tournament in Morocco wide open, the October fixtures against Cameroon will be pivotal for both teams.
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10:40 - 11.09.2024
Five key things learnt from Harambee Stars’ famous outclassing of Namibia
Here are some of the things we learnt from Harambee Stars' historic away win over Namibia in South Africa.
Firat, despite missing key players like captain Michael Olunga due to injury, is confident that Kenya can rise to the occasion and challenge the group favourites. Speaking after the win, Firat assured fans that his team would be fully prepared for Cameroon.
“If we have a full squad, then it will not be nice for Cameroon, I promise,” Firat boldly stated, signaling his belief that Kenya has what it takes to cause an upset.
The coach also addressed criticism that has been aimed at him in recent months, particularly from former coaches and pundits. Kenya’s winless run prior to the Namibia match had intensified scrutiny of Firat’s methods.
Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee, criticised Firat for not starting a natural striker in their opening match against Zimbabwe, which ended in a 0-0 draw. Additionally, last June, Sportsboom reported that James Nandwa, another former Kenya coach, called for Firat’s dismissal.
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21:50 - 10.09.2024
Harambee Stars: How Engin Firat took advantage of Namibia’s flaws to hand Kenya morale-boosting win
Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat fielded his team with a view to taking advantage of Namibia’s flaws and got it right as Kenya tamed the Brave Warriors in Johannesburg.
Firat hit back at his detractors, explaining that Kenya had faced several challenges leading up to the Namibia match, including a lack of full preparation and the absence of key players.
"We had so many missing players and I cannot say that our preparation was really well. If you look at the history, Kenya has always been losing here,” Firat remarked, emphasising the significance of the win under difficult circumstances.
“This is also my message to the people of Kenya because some players have been losing always but still they talk so for us, it was very important even with our situation.”
While Firat was pleased with the victory, he acknowledged Namibia's strength and discipline as a team, noting that they presented a real challenge to Harambee Stars.
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21:15 - 10.09.2024
Harambee Stars player ratings: How they performed in spirited win against Namibia
Harambee Stars players did well against Namibia, beating them 2-1 in their second AFCON 2025 qualifying match on Tuesday.
“Namibia is a very well-trained team, they are very disciplined and have some good players offensively, but everything has gone well except for the first goal which was not planned,” Firat admitted.
The coach was happy with the overall performance but made it clear that the focus would now shift to preparing for Cameroon.
“We are happy but now we will focus on the next match,” Firat concluded.
With Kenya and Cameroon tied on points, the October clashes between the two nations are expected to be decisive in determining who secures a ticket to the AFCON finals in Morocco. Firat will be hoping to have his full squad available for selection as he looks to build on the momentum from the Namibia win and silence his critics once and for all.
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