Kenya’s national team coach Engin Firat believes the Harambee Stars can beat Cameroon both in Yaounde and in Kampala, when the two sides meeting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
Firat admits that Cameroon possess more individual talent and are more endowed with physicality, but says the belief, camaraderie and togetherness in his squad will be key factors in getting positive results over the two matches.
Firat said, speaking to Telecomasia.net ahead of the game:
They are a very strong team physically and it is not easy to play against them, especially in Yaounde, where we expect a full stadium. They also have very good individual players like Onana (Andre), Baleba (Carlos) and Mbeumo (Bryan) who are all performing very well in the English Premier League. But for us, we have a strong unit with a lot of belief and we play with heart. We will give our best against them.
Kenya has four points from the first two qualification games, same as the Cameroonians. For this game, Firat has been boosted with the return of captain Michael Olunga who missed last month’s games due to injury. Defender Daniel Anyembe has also returned to the squad.
I am happy to have these players back because it’s been a long time since we were a full team. We are not yet 100 percent because there are some still missing, but we are better. They definitely make the team stronger and I expect us to be better.
Kenya is looking to qualify for next year’s AFCON, and positive results against Cameroon will be crucial in the quest.
