Kenya coach Engin Firat believes injuries to key players denied Harambee Stars the opportunity to return home with a maximum of six points from their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures away to Gabon and Seychelles.
After losing their Group F opener 2-1 against the Panthers on November 16, Kenya returned to action on Monday night against the Pirates and they secured a resounding 5-0 victory to put the qualification campaign back on track.
In the fixture at Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny, Harambee Stars took a deserved lead with only three minutes played courtesy of captain Michael Olunga and the lanky forward added the second three minutes later before Masoud Juma scored the third at the stroke of half-time. In the second half, Rooney Onyango scored the fourth in the 62nd minute before substitute Benson Omalla, scored his first goal for Kenya but the fifth, in the 73rd minute.
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The 53-year-old Firat revealed that missing the services of injured players – goalkeeper Bryne Odhiambo, defenders Joseph Okumu and Eric ‘Marcelo’ Ouma – in the opener against Gabon, slowed down the team’s playing spirit and further insisted with a full squad, Kenya should be sitting at the top of the group alongside Ivory Coast.
“Everybody who knows a little bit, a little bit of football, knows if a goalkeeper, right back, left back, are missing, it is not only quality of the team going down but the new replacements will have it difficult to pass the ball together, to play together and it was the case in our game against Gabon, we couldn’t pass the ball the way we had done against Russia and against Qatar,” said Firat after the Seychelles game.
“We had the problem opening the game (against Gabon) and this is quite normal and what I think and must be clear to everybody if we played a full team against them, now we will be with six points, these is the reality and I don’t care what the other people are saying.”
On the significance of Kenya’s victory against the Pirates, the Turkish tactician explained: “We have five goals and I know many teams will go for goals against them, I know these goals will help us in the future but I am quite sure about these team, the team is sure about themselves, everybody understands what is going on and I think Kenyan football has a bright future.”
Firat, however, admitted being disappointed with the fact Kenya only managed to score five goals against Seychelles, who had been thrashed 9-0 by Ivory Coast in their opener.