Football administrator Twaha Mbarak questions Firat’s role in CHAN team
By Winnie OnyandoFootball Kenya Federation (FKF) presidential aspirant Twaha Mbarak has questioned the role Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat will play in preparing the national team for the 2024 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN).
Twaha, a seasoned administrator, wonders how Firat will be allowed to take charge of the national team at the tournament when he doesn’t have faith in the FKF Premier League.
Firat recently publicly questioned the standards of Kenya’s top-flight league and advised Kenyan footballers to seek what he described as greener pastures in neighbouring countries such as Tanzania.
“Firat says our league is not good enough and yet he is the national football team coach. He is the one that will be selecting, preparing, and coaching our team at the African Nations Championship, (CHAN)” explained Mbarak.
“He should not be in charge of the team because his opinion is clear. That our players are not good enough. We do not wish to be embarrassed because he already has excuses,” said Mbarak, who doubles up as vice-chairman of premier league side Bandari FC.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) recently granted Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania the hosting rights of the 2024 Africa Nations Championship, (CHAN) a continental tournament that is a preserve of national teams consisting of players who compete exclusively in their local leagues.
The tournament will be staged in September 2024 and Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has announced the games in Kenya will be staged in Nairobi and Kakamega. Kenya has never qualified for the tournament in its sixteen-year history.
Mbarak further faulted current FKF officials led by president Nick Mwendwa and Chief Executive Barry Otieno for the supposed failing standards of football in the country.
“That said. The standards of our league are indeed wanting. But what is the cause? A few years back, when the league was managed by a company, we had tangible results, produced quality players and our teams competed well in continental assignments. Since the federation decided to forcefully run the competition, all we see are walkovers, and sponsors pulling out. Bandari was denied an opportunity to compete at the Mapinduzi Cup in Zanzibar and yet we are expected to get exposure to compete internationally. That is where the blame lies.”
Firat’s short stay at the helm of Harambee Stars is yet to yield results as the team lost 2-1 to Gabon in her opening assignment of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers. The team recovered to beat Seychelles but the results mean Gabon and Cote d’Ivoire, the reigning African Champions are favourite to progress from Kenya’s group that also has Burundi and Gambia.
Twaha is aiming to unseat Mwendwa in the FKF polls set for October 2024. Other candidates in the race are former FKF president Sam Nyamweya, ex-footballers Macdonald Mariga and Samuel ‘Kempes’ Owino with Extreme Sports Chief Executive Hussein Mohammed also rumored to be in the mix.
Sports Registrar Rose Wasike has publicly barred Mwendwa and his Deputy Doris Petra from contesting on the grounds that the duo has served for a maximum of two four-year terms as required by the law.
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