Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has challenged the new players in his squad to seize the opportunity and cement themselves as regulars in the national football team.
Speaking ahead of the team’s departure to Malawi for a four-nation tournament, Firat said missing regulars like Eric Ouma, Teddy Akumu and Joseph Okumu is an opportunity for other players to prove their worth.
Although Okumu travelled with the team, Firat has hinted he may not be engaged on the pitch largely as he has been on recovery program since suffering an injury while featuring for his French One side Stade de Reims.
“It is a good tournament for them to show the world what they are capable of doing against very good teams. I believe they will perform well when given the opportunity. This also should be a way of increasing competition in the team,” said Firat
The head coach said he was so far pleased with the new youthful players such as Alphonce Omija, Chrispine Erambo and Jonah Ayunga, who are part of the travelling squad after watching them in camp.
“They are very good players that have justified their call ups in the national team by performing well for their respective clubs, and so far I am impressed by their performance. They just need to keep it up in the national team setup,” added Firat.
Harambee Stars left the country Thursday morning and will play their first match against Malawi on Saturday at 5:00pm, as part of preparations for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2025 AFCON qualifying campaign.
“The teams will give us a good test of what we should expect in the upcoming qualifiers and I believe the players will take this opportunity to perform well and deliver good results,” stated the head coach.
At the time of publishing this account, Harambee Stars and their junior side Rising Starlets had arrived in Lilongwe, Malawi.
