Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat says he is working on building a formidable squad that will effectively compete in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations at home.Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania won the bid to host the 2027 finals with all three countries assured of being in the competitions as hosts.KCB head coach Patrick Odhiambo looking to strengthen squad further before season kickoffFirat is particularly focused on bringing in younger and experienced players into the team so that they can be ready to do well at home.“We have been working hard to bring in new players into the team and we are already seeing the results,” he said.##NAJAVA_MECA_8275735##Firat believes that by 2027, he will have established a competitive squad of young players who have played more than 40 international matches to be ready to compete at the highest level.“Considering that we will be hosting the tournament, it is important that we do well at home and the work has to start now to ensure that we have players who are experienced,” he said.STARS ABROAD: Omala off to a flyer in Lebanon as Akumu makes Iranian Pro League debutHe pointed out that the team’s inexperience was a big letdown when they played African champions Ivory Coast in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Malawi. The match ended in a barren draw but Firat believes they should have won the match.“We matched the African champions in every department but in the end we were let down by lack of experience. Our opponents had players from top leagues in the world and we could not match them in that area.”##NAJAVA_MECA_8275719##He said the team goes to camp on Wednesday 28 August to start preparations for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Zimbabwe in Uganda.“We have sent out the invitations to all our foreign based players and expect all of them to link up with the rest in Uganda before we play,” he added.
