Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has claimed that Kenyan football infrastructure is lagging behind by 40 years, despite the government’s efforts to renovate and upgrade facilities. Firat has long criticised the state of Kenyan sporting infrastructure, and never hesitates to use it as a scapegoat whenever the team registers poor results. His brutal truth and assessment of the facilities, has occasionally rubbed football stakeholders the wrong way with some calling for his sacking. ##NAJAVA_MECA_8424491##Kenya has been hosting the 2026 World Cup and the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers home matches in foreign territories as Nairobi does not have an approved facility. There is a big possibility that Kenya will play the 2025 CHAN qualifiers home matches in Uganda as CAF is yet to approve Nyayo, according to sources from FKF. Firat, who has been tutoring Stars since September 2021, feels that Kenya has overly dragged her feet in the renovations and the current state of infrastructure is at least 40 years behind modern standards. AFC Leopards striker wants to be the ‘next Olunga'”It is not good to say it’s bad, because there is almost no infrastructure at all. Even we, as the national team, don’t have a proper training field, stadiums or pitches. Everything is, I don’t know, 40 years ago or whatever. And this is sad because on the other side, you see the potential of the players,” said Firat in an interview with Daily sports.Given the difficult working conditions and allegations of going for months without pay, there are solid grounds for Firat to have cut ties with Kenya long ago. Former Gor Mahia coach questions Firat’s suitability for Harambee Stars jobHowever, the Turkish tactician has persevered begging the question, why he is always shy from going for greener pastures elsewhere? The former Moldova national team coach revealed why he had opted to stick with Kenya despite the difficulties he claims to encounter in the line of duty. ” So why am I still here? It is because I now have a strong connection to the players and it is not professional decisions; It is also sometimes emotional,” added Firat
