Harambee Stars' head coach Engin Firat has lashed out at his charges despite a morale-boosting victory over Pakistan in the Four-Nations tournament in Mauritius.
Firat's comments came moments after the team kicked off their campaign on a high note with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Pakistan in an evenly contested encounter at the Cote d'Or National Sports Complex on Wednesday.
Making his first appearance for the national team, red-hot Kakamega Homeboyz's forward Moses Shummah fired the Stars into the lead with a splendid effort in the 17th minute.
"I'm not pleased with how we performed. We were slow and adapted to the Pakistan game because they slowed down the tempo," Firat bemoaned.
"Pakistan played like it was a final, but our team was not in the shape I desired. For me, a score of 1-0 is insufficient."We must do more," he continued. The Turkish gaffer, however, lavished praise on his new recruits.
"We are glad the new players worked extremely hard to justify their presence in the team," Firat said.
Firat said he is confident they would pull off another win in their final duel against hosts Mauritius on Sunday.
"We are looking forward to another good game against Mauritius. There are areas we will need to address before the match though," Firat said.
Skipper Michael Olunga said the Four-Nations tournament in Mauritius is critical in sharpening their claws ahead of World Cup and Afcon qualifiers.
Following the win, Olunga reckons the country is on the right track after amending the howlers that cost them in their build-up match against Iran in Tehran earlier in the year.
The Qatar-based forward tipped the men's national team to rise from the ashes of a Fifa ban imposed in February last year and thrive on the international stage.
"The tournament will help us know our strengths and weaknesses as we prepare for the continental and world qualifiers that will be held later in the year," Olunga said from their training base in Mauritius.
He emphasised the need for more trips overseas to help raise the status of the national team to the desired standards.
"We are all excited to be part of this trip. We need to participate in this kind of build-up competition more often to get the appropriate exposure needed to propel us to success in our matches," Olunga stated.
Enterprising midfielder Richard Odada said he was thrilled to be back in the team. "We are happy to be back. There are a lot of new faces in the team but we hope to blend well and produce positive results," Odada said.
The Stars' camp got a major boost on Wednesday following the arrival of experienced defenders Collins Sichenje and Daniel Anyembe.
Sichenje, who features for Finnish top-tier side KuPS linked up with the national team after playing a role in his club's 2-0 win over VPS.
"After fulfilling their club commitments, Collins Shichenje and Daniel Anyembe have finally joined the National Team in Mauritius. Their inclusion adds more depth and strength to the squad," Football Kenya Federation wrote on their website.
