Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat believes that building a strong national team for the future will revolve around how best Kenya incorporates most of its foreign-based players into the national team despite their ages.Wilkins Ochieng’, Anthony Wambani, and Alwyn Tera were some of the notable inclusions among the players featuring outside the country, in Europe to be specific, with also a number of other players marking a return to the squad.Richard Odada recently made his debut for Harambee Stars in the first leg against Uganda, producing a stellar performance that saw him feature in all the other matches against Rwanda and Mali home and away but will certainly miss this window with an injury. Harambee headache! Odada to miss three weeks of action – and will be out of the Uganda clashWhen asked whether he is attempting to bring on board all Kenyan players plying their trade outside the country, Firat noted without a doubt that it is something that we have to do as a country.Belgium-based youngster Wilkins Ochieng is among the new faces called up to Harambee Stars ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Uganda and Rwanda#HarambeeStars#WCQ2022 pic.twitter.com/mDWL109isa— Jeff Kinyanjui (@Nyash88) November 1, 2021 The Turkish revealed that players who grow up in some of the top countries in Europe undergo very good training in their development age, citing the difference in conditions as their main factor that makes foreign-based players better, ruling out any chance of them being better in matters talent.”Of course, we have to do it. If you check other African countries, nearly 90% of their players are from outside. The reason is very simple and it has nothing to do with talent. It is something to do with conditions. If you grew up in France for example or wherever, of course, we have better conditions and better development for the boys there,” Firat said.The 51-year old tactician further said that to achieve that the level of scouting has to be very good to ensure that the performance is closely monitored.He went ahead to note that he spoke to a couple of players before he came up with the final list, adding that the doors are still open for anyone who proves that they deserve to be in the national team,”We have to have good scouting because we have around five or six more players who can come in and they have the chance to represent Kenya. If we have these opportunities we have to push for them. I spoke with a lot of boys, there is even one more who is very good in Denmark, and I am sure in future he can have a chance as he is now injured. There is also Tyler from Everton. Even if they are 17 or 18 it does not matter, this is our future. We have to focus on these boys to build a team for the future,” he added.Wilkins Ochieng can’t be more elated by his first callup.Karibu nyumbani 🇰🇪🇰🇪#Tunaweza pic.twitter.com/svSc7wgicL— Harambee Stars (@Harambee__Stars) November 3, 2021 In the initial squad that Firat had picked, 16 out of 27 players in that list are foreign-based, with just 11 picked from the local league.Harambee Stars will play Uganda at St. Mary’s Stadium Kitende on Thursday 11 November November before hosting Rwanda four days later at the Nyayo National Stadium.
