•He has advised his star-studded lineup to make consistency a key component of their title-chasing campaigns going forward.
Firat said he will deploy a different strategy in their highly-anticipated tie against the Bright Stars of South Sudan at the Moi Stadium, Kasarani on Tuesday.
Image: FILE
Harambee Stars' head coach Engin Firat has challenged his charges to replicate their performance against Qatar when they face South Sudan on Tuesday.
The Turkish gaffer led the team to a well-deserved 2-1 win over their hosts at the Al Janoub Stadium on the outskirts of Doha on Friday.
He has advised his star-studded lineup to make consistency a key component of their title-chasing campaigns going forward.
"Every match has its own story. What's important to me is how the players are developing, how they are reacting and adapting to training," Firat said.
"I've asked the players to do their best and see what the future brings," he added.
Firat said he will deploy a different strategy in their highly-anticipated tie against the Bright Stars of South Sudan at the Moi Stadium, Kasarani on Tuesday.
"Against Qatar, we built play from behind and opened up the field to make it impossible for our opponents to press. I'll be using a different approach when we meet South Sudan on Tuesday," Firat said.
"We are happy we managed to beat Qatar and, hopefully, we shall be able to replicate the same performance in our next fixtures, especially during the World Cup qualifiers that begin in November," Firat said.
Skipper Michael Olunga lavished praise on his teammates, saying the win was the outcome of resilience and concerted effort. He called for more buildup matches to help perfect the national team.
"We need more friendly matches against quality opposition to push the team a lot further. This will give us the kind of preparations we need to perform well in the World Cup qualifiers later in the year," Olunga said.
"Our win in Qatar is a clear indication that we are all working hard to deliver positive results. We are looking forward to another win against South Sudan on Tuesday," Olunga remarked.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) confirmed that three Rwandese officials will take charge of the match with Kenyans appointed to serve as the fourth official and the match commissioner.
FIFA referee Twagirumukiza Abdoulkalim will serve as the centre referee, while compatriots Justin Karangwa and Raymond Bwiriza will serve as the first and second assistant referees.
Josephine Wanjiku has been appointed as the fourth official while Francis Oliele will be the match commissioner.
Harambee Stars head into the encounter high on confidence after winning four out of the team's five past fixtures.
The two nations will be locking horns for the fifth time in history with Kenya having proved the dominant side in the past. The teams met last at Nyayo Stadium in March 2021 in a match that Kenya won 1-0.
Meanwhile, Firat has summoned Kenya Police midfielder Tyson Otieno to camp ahead of Tuesday's encounter.
Otieno, who joined the law enforcers from Kenyan Premier League rivals Kariobangi Sharks at the start of the season, linked up with the Harambee Stars on Saturday.
Kariobangi Sharks teenage sensation Stanley Wilson who failed to make the Doha trip has also been summoned for national duty.