• Firat said Kenya's outstanding performance against Russia at the Titanic Mardan Stadium in Antalya, Turkey on Monday, set the stage for a successful campaign starting next month.
• At the World Cup qualifiers, Stars will face Seychelles, Burundi, Gambia, Gabon, and Côte d’Ivoire in Group F.
Image: HANDOUT
Harambee Stars head coach, Engin Firat, has tipped his charges to cruise past their opponents in the upcoming qualifiers as they aim for a first-ever World Cup appearance.
Firat said Kenya's outstanding performance against Russia at the Titanic Mardan Stadium in Antalya, Turkey on Monday, set the stage for a successful campaign starting next month.
Harambee Stars held their more fancied opponents to a two-all draw in the action-packed thriller.
Firat has urged his charges to replicate the fine form they exhibited against Russia when they face Gabon on November 18.
"Monday's result shows we are on the right path and possess the potential to compete effectively with big teams," Firat remarked.
"We had a glorious opportunity to learn a few important lessons from the match that will help us in our qualifiers."
The Turkish gaffer lavished praise on his players for proving naysayers wrong in the game where most people expected Kenya to receive a severe bashing.
"I know that many people expected us to soak in as much as six goals in the game. I'm happy that we disappointed them. Russia managed to score in the last minute and that's football."
Firat said the outcome attests to the great potential Harambee Stars possess on the global front.
"It's the first time Kenya is playing against a European team. Russia is a big country with a big football history. They were once European champions," he said.
"To play against this kind of team with good players is very tough. The boys played very well. Other than the fact that our goalkeeper got injured everything else worked out well for us in the match. We controlled the game so well."
"The result is important for us. Like I said before, Kenya has never played against a team of this calibre. I hope we can replicate the performance in the World Cup as well as Afcon qualifiers."
The tactician singled out Gor Mahia's Rooney Onyango for praise, pointing out that his performance surpassed expectations.
"If a player works well, then he deserves to play. Rooney is not somebody who is pushed by the media. He is a good player who concentrates on what he is supposed to and has some really good potential that he is ready to work on," said Firat.
Russia are the highest-ranked team Harambee Stars have faced this far after a series of past friendly matches that returned mixed results.
Firat's charges crashed 2-1 to Iran before beating Pakistan 1-0 in Mauritius. They recently edged Qatar 2-1 in Doha but lost 1-0 to South Sudan in Nairobi.
At the World Cup qualifiers, Stars will also face Seychelles, Burundi, Gambia, and Côte d’Ivoire in Group F.
Group winners will secure automatic qualification to the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
In addition, the four best runners-up from each group will advance to the CAF play-off event, with the winner earning a coveted spot at the World Cup.