Engin Firat was left fuming after Kenya’s goalless draw against Zimbabwe played on Friday, September 6, 2024 at Mandela National Stadium in Uganda.
Senegal’s Diouf Adalbert officiated the match, and his decisions drew criticism from Firat both during and after the game. The Turkish coach expressed his discontent with the referee’s performance, stating that he had made numerous errors that favored the defending side.
“I am not happy with the referee,” Firat said in a post-match interview. “He had many bad decisions against us which affected our attacks. A referee should not only help the defending side; he is for both sides. A 0-0 draw is not what we wanted; a win was our target.”
In addition to the refereeing issues, Firat also cited injuries as a factor that hampered his team’s performance. Due to the absence of several key players, Kenya was forced to play with a false nine.
While Firat was disappointed with the result, his Zimbabwe compatriot, Michael Nees, remained optimistic about his team’s prospects going forward. Nees highlighted the positive aspects of the performance and emphasized the need for improvement ahead of the crucial match against Cameroon on Tuesday, at Mandela National Stadium.
“For today’s game, we are satisfied,” Nees said. “It is a positive start to take us into the Cameroon game. Though we have to add some improvement because Cameroon is a very good team.”
Kenya’s next match will be against Namibia, who will first face Cameroon on Saturday, September 7, in Yaoundé.
Photo Credit: Jackson Kayira
