Former Harambee Stars player Elijah Onsika has called on the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to do Kenyans a favour by sacking head coach Engin Firat before things get worse for the team.
According to Onsika, who played for the national team in the late 80s and Kisumu Posta in the Kenyan Premier League, Firat has proved beyond reasonable doubt that he does not fit the bill to handle the team following unconvincing results. The 53-year-Turksih tactician, who replaced Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee, received heavy criticism following Harambee Stars 2-1 opening defeat of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Read Also: Firat vows to ring changes to Kenya’s starting XI vs Seychelles
As Kenya prepares to face Seychelles in their second match on Monday, Onsika told Africa Top Sports: “Firat is not a coach, he is just a plumber and cannot take Kenya anywhere, he is currently in business, they are in business with the current FKF regime, we want to know his CV, we want to see it, I have been a national team player, I have been a coach and right now I am a CAF instructor and I have never met him [Firat] even in any course (coaching course), or any field of play.”
Onsika added: “I am requesting the KEFOCA chairman if this guy underwent any interview before landing the Kenya job, it is clear that he has nothing tangible to offer and Kenyans should not expect any positive results from the team as long as he is in charge.”
Onsika went further to ask Premier League clubs to stop releasing their players to the national team by saying: “I am also asking clubs not to release players to the national team because they [players] will not gain anything from the coach, he is in business.”
He also questioned Firat’s selection criteria by saying: “He [Firat] has left good players out of his squad, and picked those he collaborates with to do his business, if possible William Ruto should come in and help us. Kenyan football has gone down, and am asking FKF President Nick Mwendwa not to mislead Kenyans, he should accept he has killed the sport and quit.”
Kenya are pooled in Group F of the qualifiers alongside Ivory Coast, Gabon, Seychelles, and Burundi.