The secret behind the current Harambee Stars rise

Since he arrived in Kenya in 2021, Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has earned both companions and adversaries in equal measure.

His blunt proclamations and candid observations have stunned the nation, leaving many fearing for his future in the national team. But somewhat, he seems to miraculously survive the axe.

At press conferences, the Turkish gaffer has earned notoriety for taking on journalists head-on, his rhetoric questions merely serving to activate a further train of thoughts.

He speaks his mind out without mincing any words and, perhaps owing to his limited command of the Queen’s language, Firat may appear rude for lack of enough adjectives to clarify his points and drive his intended thoughts home.

He has on several occasions gone on record documenting his unrestrained sentiments about impaired infrastructure, unrefined squad members of the national team who lack the basics of football and unpaid salaries.

Today, we meticulously peer into the controversy-ridden life of a man who has stayed put in his position as the Harambee Stars head coach despite his shocking claims that his employer owes him several months in salary arrears.

Born on June 11, 1970, Firat began honing his football skills at the tender age of 10 in Istanbul, Turkey.

After hanging his boots, the Uefa-pro license holder embarked on a successful coaching odyssey, gathering an enviable wealth of experience along the way.

“I graduated from Sports University in Germany and immediately began my professional career as an assistant coach for German legend Horst Hrubesch in Samsunspor in 1997,” Firat narrates.

“With that, I made history as the youngest professional football coach in Europe. It was an exciting experience being in charge of a side that wrapped up fifth in Super Lig,” he added.

Gradually, Firat stamped authority in the minds and hearts of Samsunspor squad members as a respectable figure on the technical bench.

It did not come as a surprise when the club retained him to deputise the new head coach Joseph Jaranbinsky from the Czech Republic after Hrubesch was relieved of his duties. He was barely 27 at the time.

“The next season Jarabinsky was approached by our league rivals Antalyaspor and he asked me to accompany him to the club, an offer I gladly accepted. Together, we guided the side to a sixth-spot finish at the end of the season with the highest total points and rank in history,” Firat remarked.

Between 2000 and 2002, Firat was incorporated into the technical bench of Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, where he additionally served as a scout.

“I would later return home where I had a brief stint with Turkish giants Fenerbahçe, deputising head coach Werner Lorant in 2002. We nailed a top-two finish in the league and our highest moment at the helm of the club came when we thumped bitter rivals Galatasaray 6-0.”

“In January of the following season, Lorant and I were appointed to guide LR Ahlen,  another Bundesliga side. We took charge when the club was 17th on the log and pushed them to fifth at the end of the season ranking.”

So impressed were the club owners with the duo’s performance that Firat became head coach to oversee the last three fixtures when Lorant quit.

The turn of events made Firat the second Turkish head coach in German Bundesliga history, after Mustafa Denizli.

In 2004, Firat reunited with Lorant at the newly established South Korean Pro team Incheon United. The duo had already forged a good working relationship over time and it didn’t startle many when Firat and Lorant moved together to Turkish side, Sivasspor in the following season.

“We managed to secure promotion for the club to the first division, where we finished eighth in our maiden season, besides clinching the Cup of the Republic in the pre-season.”

It wasn’t long before Firat agreed to work with Lorant at Iran Pro League side, Saipa. “When Lorant decided to leave after three months when we were at the top of the table and Saipa’s management asked me to stay on and replace him as the new head coach. We finished at the summit of the league.”

In March 2008, the Iranian national team appointed Ali Daei as head coach and he asked Firat to become his assistant. The duo never lost any match during their tenure.

Later, Firat turned down an offer to guide the Nigerian national team at the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

Nine years down the line, he would take up the role of the Moldova national team’s head coach on October 28, 2019. He proved his mettle as a gaffer and was named Coach of the Year following decent outcomes against France and Russia that ended in a 2-1 defeat and a barren draw respectively. “I vacated the position to take charge of Harambee Stars on  October 7, 2021,” he said.

Firat has been burning the midnight oil since then to enhance the status of the team on the global front.

“My first major task as Harambee Stars head tactician was at the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Mali, away and home, on October 8 and October 12, 2021, respectively,” Firat recalled.

Kenya recorded a dismal performance against the West African nation, suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat at home before collapsing miserably to soak in an embarrassing 5-0 defeat in the away fixture.

The team’s performance gradually experienced a rise on the curve after playing out a one-all draw against Uganda before registering a morale-boosting 2-1 against Rwanda in Kigali in the same qualifier.

Things took a nasty twist when Kenya was disqualified from the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers owing to a far-reaching Fifa ban that was triggered by government interference.

Upon the expiry of the embargo, Firat took over from where he had left and guided the team in an international friendly against Iran where they lost 2-1.

“We were eager to shake off the rust and agreed with the federation to participate in as many build-up matches as possible,” Firat stated.

“We featured in the Four Nations tournament, winning the opener 1-0 against Pakistan and losing 1-0 against Mauritius.

“We faced 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar and won 2-1, lost 1-0 to South Sudan, and played out a two-all draw against Russia,” he added.

Firat said the outcome against Russia attests to the great potential Harambee Stars possess on the global front.

“It was the first time Kenya played 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 was important for us and we hope to replicate the performance in the World Cup as well as Afcon qualifiers.”

Under Firat, Kenya recorded a major feat in the nation’s history, after registering five away wins in a single year, including a resounding 5-0 victory against the Seychelles in the 2026 World Cup qualifier on November 20 last year.

The team set their season in motion in March with a convincing outing at the Four Nations Cup in Malawi where they thrashed the hosts 4-0 before humiliating Zimbabwe 3-1 in the final 3-1.

Firat reckons Harambee Stars possess the mojo to punch a ticket for a maiden World Cup appearance if they can manage victories in their remaining qualifiers.

They kicked off their campaign on a torrid note with a 2-1 defeat against Gabon but bounced back strongly to thrash Seychelles 5-0 in their second qualifier. Kenya next faces Burundi and Ivory Coast on June 7 and 11 respectively.

Firat said Kenya faces a big challenge in raising a new crop of players who can comfortably don the national team colours because they barely field teams in the other age category competitions.

“Usually, when young players join the senior national team, they are expected to have already acquired the right amount of experience and character that can make them cope well with the pressures of the big stage.

“But I’m not one of the coaches who will cry when faced with such a situation. I have enough boys who can do an excellent job,” he added.

He has called for the renovation and rehabilitation of local sports facilities to international standards to help grow the game in the country.

“Doing so will help us practice and play matches on quality surfaces. Currently, most Kenyan Premier League, National Super League and Women’s Premier League matches are played on dilapidated pitches,” Firat said.

The situation, he said, informs the style of play adapted by Kenyan sides and national teams. “Most people seem to get annoyed when they see us playing long balls. There is no way we can play tiki-taka football on pathetic surfaces.

“We can’t run football through luck and guesswork. The game has evolved and sports science, diet, and infrastructure must be improved.”

Firat prides himself on his accomplishments after being named and feted as the Most Successful Turkish Coach abroad. He tucked away the prestigious award at the Istanbul ATA Club Award Ceremony.

However, his checkered career has been riddled with challenges. Firat revealed that he has not been paid for the last five months.

“We face many problems, but we don’t publicise them. What’s important is to fight for the country and choose not to share our problems with others,” Firat stated.

“The fact is that there are delays in paying my salary. However, I do not concentrate on that issue. My goal is to achieve results and bring joy to the nation,” he added. The debt owed to him has accrued to Sh7.5 million.

Firat has tipped his charges to cruise past their opponents in the upcoming qualifiers as they aim for a first-ever World Cup appearance.

He said Kenya’s outstanding performance against Russia at the Titanic Mardan Stadium in Antalya, Turkey set the stage for a successful campaign. 

“The results show we are on the right path and possess the potential to compete effectively with big teams,” Firat remarked.

“We have had a magnificent opportunity to learn a few important lessons from our previous matches that will help us in the remaining qualifiers.”

The Turkish gaffer lavished praise on his players for proving naysayers wrong. “I know many people expected us to perform dismally in the qualifiers. I’m happy we have disappointed them thus far.”