Africa-Press – Mauritius. Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat will give priority to fresh talent at next month’s four-nation invitational tournament in Mauritius. The Turkish gaffer spoke just days after Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa announced plans to fly the men’s team to the Indian Ocean island for a build-up tournament.
Firat revealed he is already scouting for quality talent in the country and reckoned the 10-day tournament in Mauritius will offer him a perfect platform to gauge the mettle of his recruits.
“Our goal is to discover raw talent and guide them to their full potential. That’s undoubtedly one of our projects,” Firat said.
Firat’s charges will be returning to action for the first time since March when they crashed 2-1 to Iran in Tehran during a friendly match. The Turkish coach stated that they plan to use the stage to set the way for the 2026 African World Cup qualifiers, which begin in November.
“Our intention at first was to try as much as we could to have some friendly matches in Kenya but none of the teams we approached were willing to come here,” Firat said.
“Fortunately, we got wind of the tournament in Mauritius and got on board. Djibouti, Pakistan, and Mauritius have all confirmed they will be participating in the tournament, so it’s as good as ready,” he added.
Kenya could be without a number of first-team players for their tournament debut on June 12. “The majority of our players will still be in Europe and Asia at that time.
Our objective is to prepare everyone for the World Cup qualifiers, therefore we will give new players a chance,” he explained. Firat reckons the tournament will provide ample opportunity for all his charges to prove their worth in the team.
“Three matches are enough for us to gauge the quality of our squad members, especially, those who never got an opportunity to play in Tehran in March,” he said.
Firat, who attended the FKF Cup semifinals at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday, said he and assistant coach Ken Odhiambo have launched a nationwide effort to uncover and recruit new talent for the national squad.
“We’ll continue to scour the country for players who can wear the national colors. The process is not limited to Kenyan Premier League players. I attempt to scout throughout all divisions of the country for young potential, including the second division. ”
FKF honcho Nick Mwendwa said in addition to the upcoming tournament that kicks off on June 8 in Mauritius, arrangements have been made to fly Harambee Stars to Europe and the Middle East.
“We have inked a contract to participate in the 10-day four-nation tournament beginning on June 8 in Mauritius. Firat will shortly announce his team and begin organizing for the competition,” Mwendwa said.
“We also intend to play several prestigious friendlies throughout Europe and the Middle East shortly to properly prepare our players,” he added.
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