Exclusive: Engin Firat Admits Cameroon threat, stresses Kenya’s Aim to Qualify For AFCON

Kenya head coach Engin Firat has remained adamant Harambee Stars aims to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco despite being pooled alongside African powerhouse Cameroon.

The draw for the 35th edition of the tournament was held in Johannesburg, South Africa on Thursday, and it placed Kenya in Group J alongside the Indomitable Lions, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.

Immediately after the draw, former Kenya international Elijah Onsika singled out Cameroon as the team that could trouble Harambee Stars in their quest to qualify for the tournament in the North African nation from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.

“The draw is very kind for Kenya, I think even coach Engin (Firat) should be smiling wherever he is because he got an easy draw, and with good preparations, Kenya will qualify from the group,” Onsika 
told SportsBoom.co.za.

“When I look at the teams (in the draw), I think only Cameroon can trouble Kenya, the rest, Kenya can easily win against them.”

Image Credits: The Citizen 

Cameroon Success Doesn’t Change Kenya's Vision

While admitting that Cameroon were among Africa's top two successful teams, the 54-year-old Firat said it will not change that Kenya’s ambition is to qualify for the biggest event on African soil.

“Cameroon is one of the best, I don’t know the top two successful countries in Africa, so of course anyone who says something different about them, doesn’t know anything about football but it doesn’t change the fact that we (Kenya) want to go to AFCON,” Firat told SportsBoom.co.za.

“So whatever it takes, we will have to be among the teams heading to Morocco, we don’t care where we finish in the group if we finish top or second, what matters is to qualify and be in Morocco in 2025.”

Kenya’s last meeting against Cameroon played in 2010 at Kasarani Stadium ended in a 3-1 victory in favour of the Indomitable Lions while in 2019, the two sides faced off in an AFCON qualifier, the first ending 1-1 in Nairobi and Cameroon winning the return leg 2-1 in Yaounde.

Firat Happy to Have Kenya in Tough Group

Apart from Cameroon, Firat revealed Zimbabwe as another side that should not be underrated in their group.

“I hear people talking that Zimbabwe will be easy for Kenya, I don’t think so, they were in Pot 4 of the draw because of dropping in FIFA rankings just like us, but realistically they have a good team, and we all know how strong they are.”

The former Moldovia tactician explained why a tough group would be good for Kenya in their mission to qualify for a seventh AFCON appearance. “We expect a tough group but on the other side sometimes it is better to have a tough group because then everybody can win against everybody, and the group will stay very open until the end.”

Firat added: “For us, it doesn't change, who will be our rivals, we have only one aim, we want to go to the AFCON.”

On what excites him about the group, Firat said: “The good part of the story is that Zimbabwe, Namibia, Cameroon, and Kenya are strong sides, it means everybody can beat everybody, therefore, even if you lose a game there is no big value because everybody will lose and that is the reality of these group, and these makes the group interesting and so for us, we know how tough it is and we know our aim.”