Firat reveals ambitious plan for Harambee Stars to play against France or Italy

By Tony Kipkorir

The Kenya men’s national football team head coach Engin Firat disclosed on Thursday 24 November 2023 that he will try to organize a friendly match against former FIFA World Cup champions Italy or France in the near future.

According to him, he will speak to some of his personal contacts and see if Harambee Stars players can get an opportunity to gauge themselves against some of the world’s best players in friendly matches in the near future.

This he said as he made clear his intentions of playing a part in the development of Kenyan football through actions.

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“I have the ability to organize all this (friendlies) through my personal contacts, and next summer I plan to secure a match against a big team probably former world champions France or Italy.

Some people may think it’s a pipe dream, but through my close contacts, it will happen,” the Turkish international was quoted by People Daily.

Firat, who took the Harambee Stars job in September 2021, has already helped Kenya play several friendly matches with top ranking football nations including Qatar, Iran and Russia.

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The recent clash with Russia was staged in Turkey, with the two teams playing to a 2-2 draw. In the other earlier matches, Kenya suffered a 2 -1 defeat in the hands of Iran in March before overcoming Qatar by a similar score line two months ago.

Firat would achieve a historic feat if he manages to secure a friendly match against Italy or France because Kenya has never had a chance to play either of the teams.

The experienced tactician also fired back at his critics, stating that he is not bothered by the criticism he continues to receive regarding the selection of players.

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“I don’t judge players from the club they come from, all players are equal to me. But the passionate Gor Mahia fans should know that I’m very keen on my work.

But maybe I need to explain some points to the Gor Mahia fans. You don’t see me in social media doing show, I work. I am not a coach who doesn’t do anything for players but only talk,” added the one-time Dallas City sporting director.

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