Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has lamented of not receiving his salary for the last nine months despite his efforts with the Kenyan national football team.
Speaking on Tuesday, September 10, Firat said the team does not receive support from the government or the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) as required to perform well at the international level.
“What makes me sad is that we have no support. Against Uganda, I was told we would have 5,000 fans, but I could count how many were there. I am also not okay; if you don’t pay the coach for nine months, not even one dollar, then what do you want?” he asked.
Firat said the team receives more criticism than help from the stakeholders and accused them of promoting propaganda about the team.
“I want people to stop criticizing the team. Now we have FKF elections, and everyone makes propaganda, even the ex-national team coach,” Firat said.
The coach was speaking after Harambee Stars won 2-1 against Namibia in the AFCON qualifiers match.
The result took Kenya to the top of the table, tying with Cameroon at four points, two ahead of third-placed Zimbabwe.
“Today we got one goal, in six matches we got three goals, and we scored ten goals. We never won before here in Namibia, and we have won now,” Firat said.
Harambee Stars Versus Cameroon
Firat said the Kenyan team is united, explaining why they have remained undefeated in 2024, adding that he is ready to face Cameroon in the next fixture.
“Cameroon should think about how they want to crack us. I’m not afraid of them because of how the boys played against Ivory Coast, Russia, Qatar,” he said.
Also Read: Crisis Rocks Harambee Stars Opponents in AFCON Qualifiers Hours to Group J Matches
Analysis of Namibia Game
In a separate press interview after the match, Firat said Harambee Stars was missing key players and did not prepare well for the game.
He went on to slam former coaches who have been criticizing the team, adding that they could not achieve his success.
“We are not a big football country where we can change so many players to win, and we know it was very difficult here. If you look at history, Kenya has always lost here. This is also my message to the people of Kenya because there are some coaches who have always lost here, no matter how much they talk,” he said.
Also Read: Daniel Anyembe: Meet Harambee Stars Talent Playing in Denmark
Firat congratulated the Namibia team, stating it is very good, well-trained, and disciplined with good players.
However, he mentioned that Harambee Stars was tactically prepared for the game and is now focused on the next matches.
“You asked if it’s over for Namibia; I don’t believe it. In this group, everything is possible. I will not be surprised if Namibia wins two matches against Zimbabwe. Everything is very close, and for us, this is only a start. What is important is the last match,” he said.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel for real-time news updates:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaB3k54HltYFiQ1f2i2C
