Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has said he expects a tough match against Russia but remains confident his charges can pull off a major surprise.
The national team will flex muscles with the Sbornaya at the Titanic Mardan Stadium in Antalya, Turkey during the Fifa international break on October 16.
Firat spoke even as the first batch of the Kenyan contingent began limbering up for the build-up encounter after arriving in Antalya on Monday.
“Russians are a major force on the international stage but we can do something to surprise them,” Firat said.
“Whatever the outcome, we have a glorious opportunity to learn a few important lessons from the match that will help us in our qualifiers,” Firat stated.
Firat said he is not in a hurry to replace midfielder Ayub Timbe who is yet to link up with the team in Turkey. Timbe, who plies his trade for Nanjing City in China has not been released by his club ahead of Kenya’s upcoming international friendly against Russia.
“We have encountered some hurdles in getting Ayub released by his club and his availability for the match remains in doubt,” Firat said.
“However, I think we would be jumping the gun if we went ahead and sought his replacement this soon. We are keenly studying the situation and shall only effect a change if we are 100% sure he won’t be joining us,” Firat added. The national team held their first training session on Tuesday morning.
The Turkish gaffer disclosed that Portugual-based center-back Johnstone Omurwa was expected to link up with the team last evening after passing a fitness test.
Firat said a scan conducted on the lanky defender on Monday to ascertain his fitness level returned a positive outcome.
“I am happy that Omurwa has been proven fit to feature for us against Russia and we expect him in camp later in the day,” Firat remarked.
“We are also expecting the rest of the squad to arrive and, hopefully, we shall be full house by Wednesday,” he said.
The 23-member Kenyan contingent will hoist the nation’s flag against the revered European football powerhouse, currently ranked 39th worldwide.
This is the highest-ranked team Harambee Stars will be facing after a series of past friendly matches that returned mixed results.
Firat’s charges crashed 2-1 to Iran before beating Pakistan 1-0 in Mauritius. They recently edged Qatar 2-1 in Doha but lost 1-0 to South Sudan in Nairobi.
The upcoming clash will take place against the backdrop of Russia’s recent isolation by the international community for war crimes committed against humanity in the aftermath of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Harambee Stars are set to return to the international stage in November for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
They have been drawn in Group F, alongside Seychelles, Burundi, Gambia, Gabon, and Côte d’Ivoire. Group winners will secure automatic qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In addition, the four best runners-up from each group will advance to the CAF Play-Off event, with the winner earning a coveted spot in the World Cup.
