Former Harambee Stars head coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee has urged the incumbent Engin Firat to accept criticism as he leads Kenya’s bid to qualify for the Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).Mulee, who spoke on his popular breakfast show Gidi na Ghost, emphasized that as a former coach and a dedicated football fan, he has the right to voice his opinion on the national team’s performance, just like any other Kenyan.The former Tusker FC head coach is a highly regarded Kenyan coach, having managed the national team in five different stints.##NAJAVA_MECA_8325857##His first term was between 2003 and 2004, during which he led Kenya to the 2004 AFCON. He returned for brief spells in 2005, March 2007, and September 2010, resigning after a string of losses in the CECAFA Senior Challenge. In 2020, he came back for a fifth time to coach the team.“Firat is in the hot seat. If he wins, we celebrate, and if he doesn’t, we’ll still talk. That’s the reality of being in football and a democracy,” Mulee commented.Mulee’s response followed remarks made by Firat, who succeeded him in 2021. Firat appeared to criticize Mulee for allegedly questioning his decision not to start a striker during Kenya’s barren draw against Zimbabwe in their 2025 AFCON qualifier held in Kampala.“We’re approaching FKF elections, and everyone is using propaganda, including former national team coaches,” Firat said during a post-match press conference after Kenya’s match against Namibia.Ghost Mulee criticizes Firat’s tactics in Harambee Stars draw against ZimbabweMulee, however, distanced himself from any direct criticism of Firat’s tactics, clarifying that he had simply shared his views as a concerned fan.“We weren’t brave enough to play a striker. Those were Firat’s tactics, and I won’t delve into that. But I didn’t see how we were going to score without one,” Mulee remarked.In Kenya’s subsequent 2-1 win against Namibia, Firat fielded two strikers—Jonah Ayunga, who plays in Scotland, and John Avire. On a lighter note, Mulee joked that Firat might owe him thanks for the tactical shift.“I mentioned we needed strikers, and look, he used them, and we won. Maybe he should thank me,” Mulee quipped.EXCLUSIVE: Adagala speaks on Muhoroni Stadium’s ‘bad’ reputation, relegation and season’s plansMulee also expressed sympathy for Firat, who recently revealed that he had not been paid for the past nine months, despite his commitment to the team.“When I led Stars to the 2004 AFCON in Tunisia, I hadn’t been paid for eight months. I was owed Ksh 2.8 million at the time. Here we are, twenty years later, still facing the same problem. How do we expect to motivate coaches if we can’t even pay them on time?” Mulee said in an interview with The Star.
