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Engin Firat has revealed why both qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and getting to the knockout stages of that tournament is an absolute necessity for Harambee Stars.
Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has revealed why qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is a non-negotiable ahead of the ‘home’ edition set to be co-hosted by Kenya in 2027.
In September, Kenya, alongside her neighbours Tanzania and Uganda, won the bid to host the 2027 tournament, which will make it the first time ever that the tournament is held in East Africa.
Firat said that it was an absolute necessity that Stars do not just qualify for the 2025 AFCON set to take place in Morocco, but also manage to qualify from the group stages, despite never achieving that in history.
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15:30 - 15.11.2023
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“The World Cup qualifiers is a big task because we have really big teams and only one can go up," Firat said.
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“AFCON looks different because normally you have only four teams in the group and two go up, so therefore the next AFCON 25’ is in my eyes a must (to qualify).
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05:30 - 16.11.2023
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“What I have said to the boys is that they must not just go like it was always, we should also go out of the group.”
Kenya are set to take part in several competitive fixtures over the next couple of years, with the qualifiers for both the 2025 AFCON, the 2026 World Cup and the African Nations Championship tournament which is set to also take place in East Africa according to reports.
Firat believes that all those fixtures will help the side, which consists of players mostly aged between 22 and 26, be ready in time for the 2027 'home' tournament, as many will be in their peaks.
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05:40 - 15.11.2023
FOOTBALL Firat: Harambee Stars not fully prepared for World Cup qualifiers
Harambee Stars' head coach Engin Firat has admitted they are not fully prepared for World Cup qualifiers
“We have never done it in the history to go out of the group, and it will also be a good sign for everybody for the next AFCON at home.
“If we are able to make it out of the group, we can also even achieve great things with the minds of the players at the AFCON at home here in Kenya.”
Kenya have been placed in Group F of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with Burundi, Gambia, Seychelles, and Ivory Coast their other opponents in the group.
The side will then face Seychelles in the Ivory Coast on Monday, around four days after playing Gabon away.
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