Harambee Stars gaffer Engin Firat seems not to be a fan of the Kenyan local league reiterating that it is not physical enough and lacks the advanced technical nuances for international matches.
After Harambee Stars halted the AFCON Champions winning streak in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers by holding them to a barren draw on Tuesday afternoon, Firat underscored his local football-level critics.
“We played against Ivory Coast with mostly local players and I have said many times that the players in the Kenyan league are not at the physical levels expected to play against this kind of big teams. Under such circumstances, I would say they did very well,” he stated per Passion Sports.
This is why he calls overseas players to play in the national team. Earlier this year, during a discourse with TV47, Firat challenged the local players to pastures new abroad for their physical and technical enhancement.
“My advice to our local players is that if they feel they are good enough, then they should seek to play in big leagues to improve not just their skills but also the competitiveness of Harambee Stars,” he disclosed.
Harambee Stars sit position 4 with a total of 5 points after 4 match days, 6 points amiss of the pole position occupied by Ivory Coast.
The million-dollar question is, Is Firat right that the local league is way dire for international matches?
