Kenya coach Engin Firat has admitted being pained to explain to family members why he is not being paid for discharging his duties with the national team.
The 53-year-old Turkish tactician was appointed to lead Harambee Stars on September 19, 2021, after coming in to replace Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee on a two-month contract which was later reviewed, but since his arrival, he has reportedly gone for seven months plus without salary.
Despite going without salary, Firat has continued to lead the side and he was in the dugout when they suffered a humiliating 1-0 friendly defeat against South Sudan at Kasarani on Tuesday. Speaking after the game, Firat touched on the salary issue by saying: “It is true I haven’t been paid for months now, but that is not the issue or why (we lost against South Sudan),” adding: “However, there is a real challenge in all this, I find it difficult to explain to my family why I continue to do my job without receiving compensation, I have to justify to them (my family) why I invest my time and money and not for the family’s sake.”
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After the 2-1 friendly victory against Qatar, the out-spoken Firat maintained the performance of the national team can get even better if the government improves infrastructure in the country. He was at it again after the clash against the Bright Stars where he admitted to being isolated in his quest to help the team perform better.
“I feel a little bit alone, to be honest, it can’t be that everything is on my shoulders, it is unfortunate that I am now left to do everything but in my own opinion, something has to change because we are missing many things here,” said Firat, adding: “It was through my efforts that we secured a friendly to play against Qatar, I personally travelled to Qatar alongside the team manager so as to push for the friendly match.
“You can’t organise such matches through the phone, I am sometimes forced to deep into my pockets to get things moving, I never get a salary, this is a very serious problem that needs to be addressed, people talk about respect but they show no respect in return.”
Firat is preparing Harambee Stars for their 2026 World Cup qualifiers where they have been pooled in Group F alongside Seychelles, Burundi, Gambia, Gabon, and Ivory Coast.