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Harambee Stars coach Engin is keen on securing maximum points for Kenya in their second 2026 World Cup qualifier away to Seychelles on Monday
Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat has termed their match against Seychelles a must-win after opening their 2026 World Cup qualifiers with a 2-1 defeat away to Gabon.
Kenya will face Seychelles on Monday hoping to right the wrongs of Thursday when they scored first but failed to hold onto their lead, allowing Gabon to dominate the second half and score two goals to secure maximum points.
Defeat left Kenya bottom of Group F without a point, same as the Gambia and Seychelles, while Ivory Coast, Burundi and Gabon are on three each after matchday one.
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14:33 - 17.11.2023
FOOTBALL 'This is a marathon, not a sprint' - Firat calls for patience with Harambee Stars
Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat wants Kenyans to give his side time as he views their journey as a long-term project that will bear fruit during the AFCON 2027
It means Firat’s men can ill afford another negative result in Seychelles and the tactician says they have already put behind Thursday’s disappointment and are ready to collect maximum points on Monday.
“To concede a goal in the last minutes hurts a lot but it does not change our minds for our future. We have to win the next match and next time we will have our full squad to show how good we are,” said Firat.
“We will go there to win, there is no other point because we need these points. In this group, all teams are very close to each other so every point you get in every match is very important.”
Harambee Stars are in Abidjan, where they made a stop on Friday as they continue their preparations before flying to Seychelles for Monday’s encounter.
Firat has insisted his team were ‘unlucky’ in Franceville while calling for patience with the side who he claims is still ‘young and learning.’
“When you see how many players were missing, I cannot really say much to the boys,” added the Turkish tactician.
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07:33 - 17.11.2023
FOOTBALL ‘Disband Harambee Stars’ - Angry fans call for changes after Kenya’s defeat to Gabon
Kenyan fans have called for major changes in the wake of Harambee Stars’ loss to Gabon after watching Engin Firat’s men collapse in the second half of their 2026 World Cup qualifier.
“They fought well, it was not really our day. Like this week we have been unlucky and it continued also in this match, especially at 1-1 there was a mistake.
“But if we had scored a second goal the match would have been finished for us but we lost energy and Gabon were getting stronger.
“They scored a good goal but in the end, we had a chance to equalise but in the whole process we were very unlucky and it continued.”
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08:33 - 17.11.2023
FOOTBALL Five lessons learned from Harambee Stars’ 2-1 loss to Gabon
Kenya sit at the bottom of Group F following the Gabon loss which offered vital lessons.
Harambee Stars will have to win to get critics off their back with Firat not getting positive reviews among Kenyans over his perceived defensive tactics.
The tactician has managed 10 games in his two stints with Kenya, securing just two wins, as many draws with six ending in defeat.
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