Harambee Stars coach Firat calls for partnerships with developed countries
Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat (left), Qatar Football Association General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Mansoor Al-Ansari (second left), Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga (second right) and an official pose for a photo in Qatar.
What you need to know:
- Speaking in Qatar where he met Qatar Football Association General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Mansoor Al-Ansari earlier this week, Firat said Kenya needs to expose more players from a young age.
Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has emphasised on the need to partner with developed football federations across the world, to give local players an opportunity to showcase their talent on international platforms.
Speaking in Qatar where he met Qatar Football Association General Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Mansoor Al-Ansari earlier this week, Firat said Kenya needs to expose more players from a young age.
“Qatar is a country with great potential. They have invested a lot of resources in football. Over 55,000 Kenyans also work and live here. We are exploring partnerships with such countries so as to expose Kenyan football to the global scene,” said Firat.
Qatar is the smallest nation to have ever hosted the World Cup in history. Fans across the world paraded in the streets of Doha to witness the first edition of the tournament to have been held in the Arab world last year.
After successfully hosting the 2022 World Cup in November last year, Qatar has also acquired the rights to host the third edition of the 2023 Asian Cup.
Firat was accompanied by Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga, who won the Golden Boot in Qatar as his Al Duhail side won the Qatar Stars League on Monday.
"We need to have strategic partnerships with federations of developed countries in a bid to expose Kenyan players to top-level football. Having talented players is not enough to create strong networks for them across the world," added Firat.
By leading Al Duhail to the 2022/23 Qatar Stars League title, Olunga increased his chances of winning the Qatar Football Association (QFA) Best Player of the Year Award.
Olunga clinched the Golden Boot with 22 goals. He was also the Ooredoo Cup best scorer with seven goals.
It was the first time that the former Gor Mahia man lifted the Qatar Stars League trophy after moving to Qatar in January 2021. He won this season’s Qatar Cup and Amir Cup (Ooredoo Cup).
Harambee Stars returned to the international scene when they played a friendly match against Iran away in Tehran on March 28.
It will be the first time Kenya is playing an international match following the ban by the World football governing body, Fifa, in February, last year.
