Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has challenged his charges to prove their worth when they face Iran in an international friendly match on Tuesday in Tehran.
The star-studded contingent of 24 players, who were peeled off from the initial 34-member provisional squad arrived in Iran on Sunday ready to light up the Azadi stadium.
The Turkish gaffer has made his expectations clear, urging all the players to be in the best element in their first real baptism of fire.
“It's time for you to show us what you can offer at the top-level stage. It will be a show of character and how they can each cope with the pressure that comes with quality opposition," Firat said upon arrival.
Firat expressed optimism that flexing muscles with a team of Iran's calibre will provide the Stars with an opportunity to understand what they require to perform at the top level.
“It will enable us to know where we are and give us an idea of where we want to go,” Firat explained.
“This is a match for learning purposes, to show our character, and to help us build the unity we require as a team. Such friendlies will polish us well enough to tackle top teams, something we have been lacking in the past,” he added.
Firat, who was widely condemned by local football enthusiasts for dropping Kenyan Premier League's top scorer Benson Omalla from the traveling contingent defended his decision, saying the striker's statistics did not add up.
He reckons he settled on the best players the country can parade on the international stage at this moment in time.
“Some people are forgetting what kind of match we are playing and the quality of the team we are facing. I said the other day that one member of the Iranian squad has a bigger market value than all of our players combined. I had to pick players who can match the competition.
“This is a young player and needs to be given time to blossom to maturity, no need to pile up undue pressure on him at this stage. Being a top scorer does not mean you must be on the national team. Is last season’s top scorer Derrick Otanga on the team? What about the other season’s top scorer Eric Kapaito?” Firat asked.
The tactician said he gave Omalla a chance to prove his mettle by naming him to the provisional squad where he fell short of the threshold.
“If I did not have confidence in him, he wouldn't have been in the camp in the first place," he asserted.
