Former Harambee Star Coach Engin Firat/FILE
Kenya's national football team head coach, Engin Firat, has resigned. The Turkish tactician leaves Harambee Stars barely two months to the 2024 CHAN set to be co-hosted by Kenya-Uganda and Tanzania.
However, it is not clear why the tactician threw in the towel.
New FKF president Mohammed Hussein confirmed Firat's resignation in a press conference on Wednesday and starts the process to replace him immediately, ahead of the busy calendar ahead.
Firat was assisted by Kariobangi Sharks head coach William Muluya and Bandari coach Ken Odhiambo, while Bandari goalkeeping coach doubled up for Stars in the shot stoppers department.
Since his appointment in 2021, Firat has oversaw 23 matches, achieving seven wins, seven draws, and nine losses during his tenure.
He, led Kenya to play high-profile international friendlies with a 2-1 victory over Qatar and a 2-2 draw against Russia. However, his biggest failure was missing the AFCON 2025 tournament.
Stars finished third in the group and also fell 3-1 on aggregate to South Sudan in the CHAN 2025 qualifier, and Kenya only got the chance to participate due to their host nation status.
During his tenure, Firat created friends and enemies due to his tactics and selection strategy; however, he decried a lack of enough support locally and a lack of home stadiums as the reasons for poor results in the AFCON qualifiers. Firat leaves Kenya at position 106 in the latest FIFA rankings.
Former Harambee stars head Francis Kimanzi, who parted ways with Tanzanian Premier League side Tabora United last month, has been linked with the job.
Meanwhile, Harambee Stars is set to play in 2025 Mapinduzi Cup in Zanzibar in January. Uganda, Burundi, and Burkina Faso will join Tanzanian representatives Zanzibar Heros and Kilimanjaro Stars in the regional tournament.
The tournament will offer Harambee Stars a golden opportunity to fine-tune their preparations for CHAN, which kicks off on February 1-28, 2025. Kenya will co-host Chan alongside Tanzania and Uganda.
