Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat is not perturbed that Kenya lost 1-0 to lowly ranked Mauritius in their final fixture of the Four-Nation tournament at the National Sports Complex Pitch 1 on Sunday.
Kengy Saramandif struck the only goal of the game in the 22nd minute after a sloppy blunder from goalkeeper Bryne Odhiambo to ensure Kenya finished the tournament with only three points, secured from their 1-0 victory against Pakistan in the opening fixture.
Despite the defeat against the Island nation, who are ranked 180 by the world governing body Fifa, 78 places below Kenya, the Turkish tactician has refused to press the panic button insisting he used the tournament to explore new players, different positions and alternative formations for the team.
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“For me, the purpose of this training camp in Mauritius was not only to secure victories but also to work out ways of integrating new players into the team, working on different positions, and also get an alternative formation for the team, as we put focus on the future,” said Firat.
However, Firat admitted he has a tough task ahead as more areas need to be worked on, stating: “There are areas that need improvement to ensure we have a smooth journey ahead of us. We learned more about our strengths, weaknesses, and potential solutions for the future.”
He added: “I am targeting players, who can contribute significantly to the success of Kenya in the future, that remains my primary objective, we want to try out as many players as possible [those eligible to play for us], so it is a long journey, we want to see which players will be available to step in and help us achieve what we want in the future.”
Asked where he sees Kenya since he took charge of the team, Firat said: “We are improving each and every day, and I believe with more of such tournaments and friendlies, we will be in a very good position to prepare well for the upcoming tournaments.”
With the outcome, Kenya finished with three points, while Djibouti, who got a walkover after Kenya’s late arrival, finished with nine points, including six from their victories – against Pakistan 3-1 and Mauritius 3-1. Meanwhile, Mauritius came second with six points after their initial 3-0 victory over Pakistan.