Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has stressed that African Countries will struggle to compete at the highest level in football until the continent addresses its glaring infrastructure problems.
He voiced concern about how many African nations are forced to play “home” games away from home due to inadequate or unapproved stadia.
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“In this group, only Cameroon is playing home matches in Cameroon in front of their fans. This isn’t fair,” Firat remarked, highlighting the competitive disadvantage this creates.
Kenya, for instance, has had to host its home matches in Uganda due to the lack of a CAF-approved stadium, a problem echoed across the continent.
“It’s a general African problem; so many countries in Africa have no home stadia where they can play,” Firat noted.
Firat emphasized that this issue isn’t just about where games are played, but about how it impacts the entire football ecosystem, particularly for youth and talent development.
“We have to ask ourselves how we will realize our potential in Africa if most countries don’t even have a stadium. What do we do for our youth? Where will they develop?” Firat asked, pointing to the long-term damage caused by this lack of infrastructure.
Despite Africa’s immense footballing talent, Firat believes that the absence of basic facilities is holding the continent back from reaching its full potential.
“With the immense talent we have in Africa, we should already have had a World champion from Africa. But if we won’t solve this infrastructure problem, logistics problem, then it will never happen,” he said.
The Harambee Stars Head Coach emphasizes that talent alone is not enough without foundational elements like proper training fields and stadia.
“It’s not all about talent or capacity building in Africa, but these are the basic things that aren’t done. As long as we don’t do it, then we won’t realise our potential to go to the top. This is our reality in Africa,” he stated.
Kenya’s struggles reflect a continental issue, with nations like Namibia playing in South Africa, Zimbabwe in Uganda, and other countries forced to find temporary homes for the Afcon and World Cup qualifiers.
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