Harambee Stars’ head coach Engin Firat has said Kenya has a high probability of qualifying for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
In a press conference on Monday, Firat expressed confidence in the ability of his charges to perform well against countries perceived as continental giants.
The East African nation has been pooled in Group F, alongside Seychelles, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Burundi, and Gabon.
Group winners will automatically punch a ticket to the perennial global showpiece with the four best runners-up from the groups advancing to the Caf play-off tournament, whose winner shall also secure a spot.
The Turkish gaffer said he does not believe for a moment that Kenya will be heading to the qualifiers as underdogs in the talent-laden group.
“I know most of our fans are scared of the big names in our group. Personally, though, I feel we have landed a well-balanced group where each of the teams stands an equal chance to advance to the next stage,” Firat said.
“I’m very positive about our potential in the qualifiers and I strongly believe we have a high probability of going to the next World Cup.”
Firat said he is about to settle on his final squad after tinkering with a large pool of players over the past few months.
“I don’t have the time to fiddle with the squad anymore. There is hardly any more time left for me to continue giving all the players an opportunity.
“We have two upcoming friendly matches against Qatar and South Sudan which I believe will allow us to get the best personnel who can get the job done,” Firat said.
However, he was emphatic that Harambee Stars had gleaned invaluable lessons from the past friendly matches against Iran, Pakistan, and Mauritius.
On Monday, Firat named a star-studded 26-man provisional squad for their international friendlies.
Kenya will dare Qatar in Doha on September 7, before returning to Nairobi to flex muscles with South Sudan on September 12.
First intends to use the matches to perfect his act before the qualifiers that begin in November.
The country is returning to the international stage after a year-long ban that locked them out of the Afcon 2023 qualifiers after Fifa accused the government of third-party interference.
Skipper Michael Olunga expressed confidence ahead of their trip to Qatar.
“We have had good preparations and we thank the federation for providing us with a conducive environment to succeed. We are ready for our opponents,” Olunga said.
“We are aware that at the end of the day the country expects us to deliver good results and we will do all we can to make our fans proud,” Olunga said.
