The Kenya national team, Harambee Stars, registered their first win in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, which propelled them to the top of the Group J table.

However, the victory was overshadowed by the revelation from head coach Engin Firat that he has not received his salary for the past nine months.

“I am also not okay. If you don’t pay the coach for nine months, not even one dollar, then what do you want?” said Firat during a post-match press conference. “I want people to stop criticizing the team. Now we have FKF elections, and everyone makes propaganda, even the ex-national team coach.”

Firat also responded to his predecessor Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee, who had criticized his tactics following the recent 0-0 draw against Zimbabwe.

The coach expressed his disappointment over the lack of support from Kenyan fans, citing the sparse attendance during the game against Zimbabwe, which was held in Uganda.

“What makes me sad is that we have no support. Against Uganda, I was told we would have 5,000 fans, but I could count how many were there,” lamented the Turkish coach.

Despite the off-field challenges, Firat remains optimistic about Harambee Stars’ upcoming fixtures against Cameroon, a team they have never beaten.

Drawing confidence from their recent performances against high-level opposition, Firat is eager to face Cameroon in the back-to-back matches scheduled for October.

Kenya’s victory over Namibia marked their second AFCON away qualifier win in 22 years, moving them to the top of Group J, which also includes five-time African champions Cameroon and Zimbabwe.

Harambee Stars now face the monumental task of securing their first-ever victory against Cameroon as they continue their quest for a place in the 2025 AFCON tournament.

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