By Lubulwa Edrine
The Kenya national football team coach, Engin Firat has resigned from his position over unpaid salaries for several months and public pressure over team’s poor performance. New Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Mohammed Hussein confirmed the news in a press conference today, Wednesday.
The 54-year-old has won six matches, drew seven and lost nine in 22 games he oversaw at Kenya national team.
The former assistant manager of Turkish giants, Fenerbahce was not a darling of Kenyan sports media and fans, rubbing them the wrong way on many occasions with his controversial comments on the poor quality of the game in the country.
Confirming receipt of his resignation letter, FKF president Hussein said they will be moving with speed to find a suitable replacement.
“We confirm receipt of a letter of termination from the national team coach, Engin Firat. The matter has since been forwarded to the new FKF Executive Committee for review and deliberation. As you are aware, Kenya alongside Uganda and Tanzania will be co-hosting the Africa Nations Championships next year. It is important we move with speed to put in place a strong team for the competition,” Hussein said.
The president further confirmed Firat is owed 12-month arrears in salary and underlined the federation’s commitment to resolving the issue.
Concerning the way forward, Hussein said the new coach will be picked on merit, whether local or foreign.
“The decision, if you were to ask me, will be purely on merit. Whether local or foreign, the person has to have the credentials and I think it will be performance-based as well. Whether local or foreign, that will be the determination of the team that will be picked for the recruitment process,” he added.
Kenya finished third in Group J of the AFCON qualifiers after collecting only three points (a win over Namibia in September) while incurring two losses and two draws.
