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Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat seems to have settled on a core of players whom seems to trust which points to how he plans to select his team for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers
Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat basked in the glory of his team’s 2-2 draw with Russia on Monday after coming close to securing a historic win.
Anthony Akumu cancelled out Aleksandr Sobolev’s opener for Russia before Masoud Juma put Kenya ahead for 2-1 before halftime and Firat’s men were headed for a win before Ivan Oblyakov scored a late equaliser for the Europeans.
That result left Firat buzzing, hitting at his critics, who he claimed had expected a big loss for Kenya.
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10:57 - 17.10.2023
FOOTBALL Firat fires back at critics after staging memorable draw against Russia
Kenya drew against Russia after the European side forced an equaliser in the dying minutes of the match.
“We were very organised and played well. Many people expected us in this kind of game to get five or six goals and I am happy that we disappointed them and showed that we are in a good way to compete with big teams. I hope that we can take this to the World Cup and AFCON qualifiers,” said Firat.
The World Cup qualifiers is where the rubber meets the road for Firat’s men as they begin their journey for the 2026 tournament with an away match against Gabon on November 13 before Seychelles (away), Burundi (home), Ivory Coast (home) and the Gambia (away) come calling in the first round.
There will be no margins for error here which means Firat must to get his selection and tactics spot on.
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17:00 - 17.10.2023
FKFPL Firat in awe of Gor Mahia star after impressive debut for Harambee Stars
The new Gor Mahia right back is going from strength to strength, and his impressive debut for Harambee Stars against Russia is sure to make him a bonafide star in the future.
Looking at his recent line-ups, the Turkish tactician seems to have already settled on a team as it has remained largely unchanged in three straight matches.
Against Qatar in September’s friendly, he kept faith with KCB goalkeeper Bryne Odhimabo, with Johnstone Omurwa and Joseph Okumu partnered in central defence while Daniel Anyembe was deployed at right-back and Eric ‘Marcelo’ Ouma at left-back.
In midfield, Richard Odada, Anthony Akumu and Kenneth Muguna were deployed while the attack had Elvis Rupia and Masoud Juma playing either side of captain Michael Olunga.
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08:06 - 17.10.2023
FOOTBALL Eight lessons learnt from Harambee Stars draw against Russia
In their first-ever meeting, Kenya settled for a 2-2 draw against Russia in an international friendly.
Firat only made one change to the team as Kenya hosted South Sudan four days later with Brian Mandela slotting in at centre-back alongside Okumu.
This was after Omurwa returned to his club Estrela da Amadora early following a request from the Portuguese side, meaning he would have kept his place had he been available.
In the match against Russia, only two changes were made as Amos Nondi played at right-back in the absence of Anyembe, who was not released on time by his Danish club Viborg, while Gor Mahia’s Rooney Onyango took the place of Rupia, who did not receive a call-up for the match.
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11:52 - 17.10.2023
FOOTBALL Michael Olunga: Harambee Stars captain’s performance divides opinion among Kenyans
Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga was the subject of criticism from a section of Kenyans who feel he has not been impressive for the national team in recent matches
While more names could still be added going forward, it seems Firat has already settled on a core of players who he wants to rely on, especially in defence and midfield.
The aforementioned line-up has yielded one win, a 2-1 triumph over Qatar, the draw with Russia as well a 1-0 defeat to South Sudan.
However, there was some purpose and organisation to Kenya’s game unlike their poor performance at the four-nations tournament in June when they scrapped a 1-0 win past Pakistan before losing 1-0 to Mauritius four days later.
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07:06 - 17.10.2023
FOOTBALL Richard Odada dazzles in Harambee Stars player ratings after Russia draw
In an enthralling encounter, Harambee Stars displayed resilience against Russia, with notable individual performances contributing to an exciting 2-2 draw.
Stars have looked organised in defence, their build-up impressive with only finishing still one of their biggest problems.
The days of playing full-backs on the wing to add an extra layer of defence seem to be over, at least by now. Firat has reverted to a proper back four with full-backs in their natural positions but with freedom to roam forward which has give the team an extra threat.
Omurwa and Okumu have also struck up a good partnership in defence and it is easy to understand why the coach has been hesitant to disrupt that.
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21:00 - 16.10.2023
FOOTBALL Russia score late equaliser in four-goal thriller with Kenya's Harambee Stars
Kenya conceded a late goal to draw 2-2 with Russia after coming close to securing a historic win against the European nation
While Stars midfield is crying out for some creativity, Firat seems to have decided to go for safety first with Odada, Akumu and Muguna. A lot of Kenya’s creativity comes from the wing or full backs with defenders also chipping in with impressive long passes over the opposition midfield but they cannot always rely on this.
Firat might perhaps want to try out Gor Mahia’s Austin Odhiambo in the coming matches since his intelligence and eye for a good pass can help unlock the opposition defence while also feeding Olunga who has come under criticism for his extended goal drought for the national team.
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15:30 - 11.10.2023
FOOTBALL Firat claps back at critics over Harambee Stars selection for Russia friendly
Coach Engin Firat staunchly defends Harambee Stars' selection for Russia friendly amidst criticism, emphasizing players’ potential and urging fan support.
All in all, Harambee Stars are still a work in progress but they have started showing some positives which the coach can build on as they bid to secure World Cup qualification for the first time in their history.
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