Despite the long roster of injuries plaguing Harambee Stars, head coach Engin Firat believes he has enough depth to pressure their opponents in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
In an interview, Firat tipped his charges to rise above the challenge.
The Kenyan lads face an uphill task against the Warriors of Zimbabwe in their opening Group J match at Mandela National Stadium in Namboole, Uganda, on Friday.
They will then travel to South Africa to lock horns with the Brave Warriors of Namibia four days later.
Firat asked his charges to remain united and employ teamwork to defeat opponents — who may have more skilled players.
"We usually have injured players during the Fifa weeks, which is unfortunate. Michael Olunga and Collins Sichenje are just a few of the many players on our roster who were recently injured," he said.
"Even though we lost several players to injury, we must find quick fixes. Even if our opponents have a superior crop of individual players, we must always work as a team to achieve positive results."
Insisting that there should be a wider pool of talent to select from, Firat said he has always had trouble fielding a complete team when it matters.
"Kenya lacks enough players who can compete internationally," he said.
The Turkish coach claimed that insufficient preparations had worsened the team's precarious situation, adding they never had enough time to train.
Some players flying the country's flag in the competition ply their trade in the Kenyan Premier League which started on August 24. The local top-flight stage took a break after Round One fixtures to remain in tandem with the Fifa calendar.
"It is challenging to determine how well the players are prepared psychologically and physically for matches given the short duration of our league and the high level of competition they face. It is unfortunate, but we must adjust to the circumstances," Firat said.
He believes that the Stars will perform better if enough time is allotted for preparation.
"We required additional time to allow the players to acclimatise to our system, tempo and physical condition. All of this is lacking but we must come to terms with the reality of Kenyan football," added Firat.
