LILONGWE, Malawi, Jun 12 – Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Fae has slammed Kenya’s approach to their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Lilongwe on Tuesday evening, saying he expected a more explosive approach from the Harambee Stars.
Stars put in a tactically disciplined masterclass, plying behind the ball most of the time and creating chaos on the counter, and should have scored in at least two occasions.
But the tactics employed by Engin Firat seemed not to have delighted Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winning coach Fae.
Didn’t put any pressure
“I thought they would put more pressure on us but they decided to stay behind and wait. I am a little bit disappointed about the striker (Michael Olunga). I saw him better but tonight he was not as I saw him,” the tactician said after the game.
Earlier on, Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat had said that Stars deserved to win the match on the balance of clear cut chances created in the game.
Stars had two good chances in the second half, when Michael Olunga set up Timothy Ouma but his effort was blocked by the keeper while captain Olunga’s rebound was cleared off the line.
Olunga also had another effort on the counter but his shot from a tight angle was also saved by the keeper.
Fae disagrees with Firat that Kenya deserved to win.
“I don’t think they deserved to win. They refused to play and stayed behind to wait for our mistake to score. They got probably one big opportunity and one good situation but nothing more,” said the tactician.
Fae berates state of Bingu surface
The coach also berated the state of the playing surface at the Bingu National Stadium, saying it hampered them from playing their usual style of football.
“I think if the field was a little bit better, it would have been easier for us. Unfortunately the field was not too good for us to play our football and it was easier for Kenya to defend. It was the reason for this kind of game,” noted the coach.
Meanwhile, he says his team struggled a bit in the game due to the heavy toll the season has taken on their players, saying most of them have been loaded with more game time as they play at the highest level.
Congested calendar for ‘big teams’
“They play at their domestic clubs in many competitions and we just concluded the AFCON in February. It is a period where the players are a bit tired. I think this period is better for the small teams because they have more energy,” noted the coach.
Kenya was the first team to take points off Ivory Coast in the World Cup qualifiers, having gone on a run of three wins in a row.
The Ivorians however remain top of the group with 10 points and Fae believes they can wrap up their journey to return to the World Cup in the next round of matches in March 2025 where they face off with Burundi and Gambia.
