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Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat has revealed his side's ambitious targets ahead of Kenya's 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Burundi and Cote d'Ivoire.
Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has expressed optimism about his team's preparations for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Burundi and Cote d'Ivoire, highlighting encouraging signs from their recent training sessions.
The team, which arrived in Lilongwe, Malawi on Sunday, has been gearing up for two critical matches.
They will face the Swallows of Burundi on June 7 before taking on African champions Cote d'Ivoire on June 11. Firat has been buoyed by the team's progress during their week-long training camp at the Police Sacco grounds in Nairobi.
"Training has been good, although we haven't had enough time to train together. What's encouraging is that we managed to get a good number of our players in camp," Firat remarked, as quoted by The Star.
The coach emphasised the significance of having key players available, which has allowed the team to make substantial progress despite the limited preparation time. "We've achieved a lot in training and I believe we still have some polishing to do before the big day."
Firat is confident that the familiarity with the Bingu National Stadium, where Kenya won the Four Nations invitational tournament in March by defeating Malawi 4-0 and Zimbabwe 3-1, will work to their advantage.
"The good news is that we recently played here a few months ago and we are familiar with the surface. That might work to our advantage," Firat added.
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The coach also addressed the skepticism surrounding Kenya's chances of advancing in the qualifiers.
"Some people might think we are taking an extremely long shot. That it's beyond our reach. We have prepared well for the task ahead and can achieve our target with focus and effort," Firat remarked.
He reiterated the importance of securing maximum points in these matches to bolster their chances of direct qualification. "We are here to pick the vital wins. We need maximum points to bolster our chances of qualifying directly for the World Cup," he stated.
Kenya currently sit third in Group F with three points from two matches, trailing behind Cote d'Ivoire and Gabon who have the maximum six.
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With a strong performance in the upcoming matches, Firat believes Harambee Stars can either secure the top spot or emerge as one of the four best runners-up, which would give them a second chance to qualify for the tournament.
"The worst scenario should see us emerge among the four best runners-up. That will give us a second chance to qualify for the tournament," Firat concluded.
As the Harambee Stars prepare for their crucial qualifiers, the positive developments in their training camp have provided a much-needed boost of confidence, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting and challenging campaign.
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