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Firat’s dream team turned into a comedy band, missing AFCON notes while noisy neighbors Tanzania hit all the right tunes!
On June 9, 2023, at Mpesa Foundation Academy in Thika, Harambee Stars’ head coach Engin Firat unveiled a revamped backroom staff with grand ambitions.
It was a day of optimism, with Firat orchestrating a symphony of new faces to tune up Kenya's football future.
But as the dust settles and the AFCON 2025 qualifiers conclude, the symphony proved to be more off-key than harmoniou leaving Kenyans watching from the sidelines as noisy neighbors Tanzania waltz into Morocco.
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05:28 - 19.11.2024
Tactical naivety, litany of excuses & more: Why Engin Firat must be held accountable for Harambee Stars' failures
Engin Firat exuded confidence after Kenya topped their AFCON qualification group, sending a warning to Andre Onana and Cameroon, but once results went haywire, he became defensive.
Firat, a man of lofty ideals and confident soundbites, introduced three new staff members with much fanfare.
The Turkish gaffer brought on Kennan Atik as an assistant coach, Adem Koyuncu as the new physiotherapist and Tolgahan Tuglu as the new team manager.
The trio joined an already crowded bench, which included assistants William Muluya and Ken Odhiambo, goalkeeper coach Fredrick Jerim Onyango, team staff Jectan Michael Oitang'or and equipment manager Isaac Muriiki Munene.
The new additions were heralded as the missing pieces of a grand plan to revive Kenyan football.
Atik, Firat’s trusted compatriot, was touted as a guru for youth development.
Koyuncu promised to bring cutting-edge recovery methods, while Tuglu was expected to bring a touch of international class to team management.
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06:15 - 18.11.2024
Engin Firat: The grand promiser left searching for answers with Harambee Stars
Kenyan dreams were shattered as Engin Firat’s false promises left Harambee Stars broken, missing AFCON 2025 and hope itself.
On paper, it was a dream team. On the pitch? Well, that is another story.
Kenya’s AFCON campaign began with cautious optimism but quickly descended into mediocrity.
After grinding out a draw against Zimbabwe and failing to score against Namibia, Harambee Stars finished third in Group J.
Firat’s team ended with just six points, trailing group winners Cameroon and runners-up Zimbabwe, both of whom secured their tickets to Morocco.
“We have to adapt more to professional ways with machines and things to help the team recover and also players coming back well after injury,” Firat said when introducing Koyuncu as quoted by Capital FM.
Unfortunately, no amount of machinery could rescue Kenya’s campaign, as the team lacked bite, creativity and most of all, goals.
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19:01 - 19.11.2024
Kenya v Namibia player ratings: How did Harambee Stars players perform in lacklusture draw with Brave Warriors?
Harambee Stars end their AFCON 2025 qualifying campaign in utter dissapointment, drawing 0-0 against Namibia, but how did the players fare?
Kenyan fans were left scratching their heads as their southern neighbors, Tanzania, celebrated a triumphant campaign.
The Taifa Stars clinched a spot in Morocco with a decisive 1-0 victory over Guinea, a performance capped by Simon Msuva’s second-half heroics.
Meanwhile, Harambee Stars limped offstage, still wondering what went wrong.
“Kenan is a very experienced coach. He knows me well and how I am thinking,” Firat had declared in June.
“His job will not only be the senior national team but also to bring structure in our youth national teams so that we have a real program for the future.”
While Atik may have had a vision for youth, Kenya’s seniors appeared rudderless, unable to find a win in their final two qualifiers when it mattered most.
The comedy of errors in Kenya’s backroom staff reached peak absurdity as Firat seemed to have more people on the bench than players making a meaningful impact on the pitch.
The technical team, described as "a structured unit," failed to orchestrate any harmony. It was less Beethoven and more clanging pots and pans.
As Tanzanians danced to Msuva’s rhythm, Harambee Stars were left looking like the awkward guests at the party—underprepared, outperformed and out of the tournament.
In hindsight, perhaps the problem was too many cooks in the kitchen. Or maybe Firat’s grand vision was more dream than reality.
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12:11 - 19.11.2024
Cry for help as ailing former AFC Leopards coach struggles against disease and financial neglect
Ailing former AFC Leopards coach Jan Koops faces severe health challenges while struggling with unpaid dues from the football club.
Whatever the reason, Harambee Stars’ campaign ended not with a bang but with a whimper.
With AFCON 2025 now a missed concert, Kenya faces yet another footballing rebuild.
And as football fans continue to call for Firat’s orchestra to pack up, one can only hope that if he resigns, the next conductor will bring a better sense of rhythm.
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