Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat has faced criticism after the team failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals.Several coaches and former international players have consistently called for his sacking, but not former captain Musa Otieno.##NAJAVA_MECA_8528292##Otieno, the longest-serving captain of the national team, believes Firat was not given all the support he needed to qualify for the tournament.”As a former captain, I was quite disappointed when the team failed to qualify. But we honestly need to examine the reasons for the failure. It is not fair to blame Firat exclusively. We expected him to qualify, yet we did not provide the necessary support,” he said.”Not only was the team unable to play at home due to the lack of a FIFA-approved stadium, but even finding a suitable training ground was a challenge. It does not matter who comes in after him. As long as there is no support, we will continue to get the same results,” he added.Kariobangi Sharks’ Keith Imbali opens on surviving mob justice and growing up in crimeHe also commented on other teams that qualified for the 2025 finals despite not playing at home.”Teams like Sudan and Zimbabwe also played away, yet they qualified. The difference is that they received significant support from their governments and fans. There were no internal disputes, creating the perfect environment for their players to perform,” he added.Looking ahead, Otieno has called for increased motivation for the players, suggesting that the government should offer substantial bonuses to inspire better performances.”It’s time we start paying our players something like $5,000 (Ksh. 650,000) when they win a match. This would go a long way in motivating them to give their best. It doesn’t make sense to play for the national team for years and have nothing to show for it.”Otieno captained Harambee Stars to the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Tunisia. After that, the team qualified for the tournament 15 years later, in 2019, when it was held in Egypt.800m star Mary Moraa, DEM WA FB’s historic cash donation to Bungoma Queens
