April 18, 2025

Redemption time as Harambee Stars take on Seychelles in Abidjan

Redemption time as Harambee Stars take on Seychelles in Abidjan
File Photo

Stars take on a heavily wounded Seychelles who lost 9-0 to Ivory Coast on Friday in a game that coach Engin Firat has termed a must-win contest.

Harambee Stars will look to redeem themselves when they face the lowly-ranked Seychelles on Monday at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan.

Stars launched their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign on the wrong footing after falling 2-1 to Gabon last Thursday in Franceville.

The defeat saw the Kenyan team place second third from bottom in pool F of the qualifiers but has a chance to right the wrongs on Monday.

Neighbours Burundi who beat the Gambia 3-2 are placed second in the group with Ivory Coast at the top.

Stars take on a heavily wounded Seychelles who lost 9-0 to Ivory Coast on Friday in a game that coach Engin Firat has termed a must-win contest.

Firat who rued tough luck and the absence of key players in the loss to Gabon said the team had no option other than to add miseries on Seychelles.

“We will go there to win. We need these points. In this group, all teams are very close to each other so every point you get is important,” said the Turkish.

 

The loss to Gabon revived talks over Firat’s suitability for the Stars job and his abilities to mount a successful qualification campaign. 

The tactician who has been posting inconsistent results since taking up the Stars job was heavily criticized for the tactics he employed against Gabon, especially after Kenya took an early lead.

He leads his troops to the Seychelles match aware that another slip-up will leave him on the edge if not fired.

It remains to be seen whether left-back Erick Ouma who sat out of the first game due to a knock will be fit enough for the game.

Ouma traveled with the team to West Africa despite carrying the knock he picked last weekend with his Swedish club, AIK.

Table Standing

# Team P W D L F A +/- PTS
1. Gabon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2. Gambia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3. Kenya 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0