Harambee Stars have been in the cold internationally since edging out Rwanda 2-1 in a dead rubber Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match in November 2021, due a FIFA suspension that has since been lifted.The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) was under an indefinite suspension from all football activities due to government interference. Imposed in February last year, it was lifted late the same year after the same government agreed to FIFA demands. With the international football path paved, Harambee Stars, the Kenya senior men’s football team, is plotting a comeback with a friendly over the first international break this year expected in March.FKF has reportedly recalled Engin Firat, who is expected in the country anytime from now, to continue as the Stars coach. The 52-year-old Turkish will come with an assistant, with a second assistant being sourced locally. With Jacob “Ghost” Mulee resigning as the handler of the Harambee Stars after 11 months in charge, Firat was handed a two-month contract by the FKF in September 2021.He was tasked with the responsibility of leading the country to the third round of the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualification campaign.However, that target was not achieved as Kenya finished third in Group E behind Mali and Uganda having accrued six points from six matches.##NAJAVA_MECA_6954613##Even during his short time in charge, the former Kayseri Erciyesspor and Moldova national team coach added youngsters like Timothy Ouma and Richard Odada into the squad.Despite being inactive for a year, Harambee Stars are still ranked second in the East African region in position 101 behind Uganda and above Tanzania in the latest FIFA Men’s Ranking. Gor Mahia lodge formal protest over ‘violent’ elbow on defender Geoffrey OchiengDuring a recent meeting with a delegation from FIFA and CAF, Cabinet Secretary for Sports Hon Ababu Namwamba said that Kenya wanted to take part in the 2023 Africa Cup, with a qualifier between Kenya and Cameroon penciled in for March.”We have made it very clear to both CAF and Fifa that Kenyan football is at rock bottom. I believe Fifa and CAF will be considerate in Kenya’s peculiar situation,” Namwamba said.”It was a special circumstance that led to the suspension of (national team) Harambee Stars from the qualifiers,” he added.Before the suspension, Kenya had been drawn in Group C of the qualifiers which kicked off in August last year, alongside Burundi, Cameroon and Namibia.CAF legal counsel Nadim Magdy, who was part of the delegation, said the continent’s football governing body would meet “soon” to discuss Kenya’s request.
