Football Kenya Federation actions spell doom for football
National soccer team Harambee Stars faces a monumental task in the 2022 Qatar World Cup qualifying matches.
Kenya has drawn two matches against neighbouring Uganda and Rwanda at home and away, respectively, which means the team has an uphill task to win the reverse fixtures as well as the two-legged matches against continental giants Mali to have a glimmer of hope of qualifying for the global showcase.
Early this week, the penchant by Football Kenya Federation (FKF) of changing national team coaches was revisited when it brought on board Turkish national Engin Firat to replace Jacob “Ghost” Mulee.
Already, the appointment has left mouths agape given the short time frame before Stars engage their opponents in the remaining qualifying matches.
It is no brainer that this was hardly the right time for the federation to head-hunt for a new coach, who will hardly have enough time to traverse the country’s football terrain to get the best material for the national team.
The arrival of the new coach means so many things, the main one being introduction of new tactics that might confuse players who were already in sync with the Mulee philosophy and style.
Also, the federation’s failure to consult widely over the national team’s composition including the technical bench has been heavily criticised and there is a general feeling the federation has been treating Stars like a village outfit, which will be counterproductive and especially this time when the boys are facing tough World Cup qualifications matches.
Whom did the federation consult before making the latest decision, and what credentials were considered before handing the coaching job to the expatriate?
This is a pertinent question that needs to be addressed and worse, the federation settled on a man who has lately coached Moldova, a team ranked 22 places behind Kenya in Fifa rankings.
During his tenure there, he was in the dugout for 11 matches, losing nine and winning none!
Obviously, his CV will not inspire any ambitious team. Since Mulee had thrown in the towel, an experienced local coach was better placed to handle the next fixtures to be played on October 7 and 10.
The federation should have known better and hired a coach familiar with the playing unit and has been around long enough to know who to include in the national team.
Such decisions by the federation in the pretext of building a national team makes it football’s worst enemy.
