Departing Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat says he’s been widely praised for his work with the Kenyan national team, despite a poor competitive record of just three wins in three years.Firat’s future seems to lie outside Kenya after failing to guide the team to the 2024 AFCON in Morocco.Sports CS Kipchumba Murkomen has already indicated that Firat, who has one year left on his contract, will leave as stipulated if he fails to qualify the team for AFCON.##NAJAVA_MECA_8555182##”I’ve seen the contract of the Harambee Stars coach—it clearly states that if he doesn’t qualify for AFCON, he should exit. Since he failed to meet the contract’s conditions, if FKF wants to keep him, they must cover his salary with their own resources,” Murkomen said during an interview with NTV.The recent election of Hussein Mohamed as FKF president has further paved the way for Firat’s exit, with the new leadership expected to bring in a fresh coach.Despite this, Firat remains optimistic. He insists that, contrary to public perception, he has performed well and claims to have earned recognition both locally and internationally.CS Murkomen: Engin Firat must go“People constantly approach me, saying, ‘You’re doing an incredible job with Kenya,’ and they’re amazed at the potential of Kenyan football. Even when I travel abroad, people acknowledge the progress we’ve made,” Firat told SportsBoom.com.Firat believes that much of the criticism aimed at him is politically motivated.He claims his detractors are influenced by rival factions within Kenyan football.“A lot of the criticism comes from political rivalries. Some former national coaches and journalists support opposing candidates and spread misinformation. But I’m not moved by that—I have strong public backing,” Firat added.Nick Mwendwa alleges rigging in FKF elections, seeks FIFA interventionLooking ahead, Firat admits Kenya’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup are slim.The team currently sits fourth in Group F with five points, five behind leaders Ivory Coast, and only one team will qualify directly.“Being in the same group as Cote d’Ivoire, the African champions, makes it unrealistic to aim for first place. Competing for second is possible but still very tough against teams like Gambia and Gabon,” he said.However, Firat remains hopeful that Kenya could finish strong if they can play their remaining games on home soil.“If we have all our players and finally get to play at home—something I haven’t experienced since I took over—it could make a huge difference. Playing at home is vital in African football,” he concluded.FKF president Hussein Mohammed’s plan to eradicate match fixing
