Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat resigns
By Amina Wako |
Mohammed stated that the process of finding a replacement will commence following consultations with the newly elected NEC members.
Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat has resigned due to unpaid salaries; the new FKF president, Hussein Mohammed, confirmed on Wednesday.
Hussein stated that the process of finding a replacement will commence following consultations with the newly elected National Executive Committee (NEC) members. He also announced plans to conduct an audit to verify the amount owed to the Turkish coach.
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"I'd like to point out that the national team coach terminated his contract through a notice that was issued at the beginning of this week. We will be looking at the way forward once we have internal consultations with the technical team and secretariat at the Federation," he said.
Days after the team failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which Morocco is hosting, Firat announced his resignation. The announcement comes during a tumultuous period for Kenyan football, marked by leadership changes and systemic challenges.
Firat’s resignation follows a disappointing AFCON qualifiers campaign, where Kenya finished third in Group J behind Cameroon and Zimbabwe. Despite the team's 2-1 victory over Namibia, the campaign suffered from consecutive losses to Cameroon and underwhelming draws against Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Addressing the media after Kenya’s final qualifier match against Namibia, Firat expressed uncertainty about his future. “I spoke with President Nick Mwendwa, and if Doris Petra takes over, we will sit down and plan for next year. We have targets, including hosting a tournament in Nairobi. But we’ll see what happens after the elections,” he said. Despite these remarks, Firat acknowledged the significant hurdles he faced, including inadequate infrastructure and the absence of home games.
Firat’s tenure has been fraught with criticism from fans, former players, and officials who were dissatisfied with Harambee Stars’ performance. The pressure escalated when Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen hinted at the possibility of withdrawing government funding for Firat’s salary.
“The agreement between FKF and the coach stipulated that failure to qualify for AFCON would lead to disengagement,” Murkomen stated on November 20. “Since the ministry funded the contract, we will, given the circumstances, implement that clause and stop further payments.”
Despite the government’s stance, Murkomen emphasised that the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) holds the exclusive authority to terminate the coach’s contract. “Many have called for Firat’s dismissal, but FKF has the exclusive responsibility to hire and fire the coach. We cannot interfere directly,” he clarified.
Firat’s resignation also coincides with a leadership transition in FKF, as Nick Mwendwa’s long tenure ended with Hussein’s victory in last week’s elections. Kenya’s next test on the international stage will be the African Nations Championship (CHAN), which begins on February 1, 2025.
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