Nairobi — Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat says he expects a tough learning experience for his team as they play Iran in an international friendly match in Tehran on Tuesday night.

The Turkish trainer has insisted that he is not focused on getting a result against the Asian side, but is rather looking to give his players an experience of facing top team and how to deal with the pressure that comes with it.

"People are talking about winning and getting a result and I don't understand. For me winning is not my aim. The point is for the players to understand where we are and where we need to go," the tactician stated.

He added; "This match for us is to learn and show character and we see as a team how we can work against a top team in the world. When was the last time Kenya faced a tough team in a friendly match?"

Iran recently faced off with Russia in a friendly match playing to a 1-1 draw and Firat says he expects them to come even harder when they face Stars on Wednesday.

"We have all the information about Iran. I have worked in Iran for five years and I know them very well. I already told the players how they will play and we have every detail. We will face a top team and this is what we want. I told the guys that it will be hard but we need to push," he said.

Stars are playing their first international match since November 16, 2021, when they faced Rwanda in their final 2022 World Cup qualifier in nairobi, winning 2-1. This was Firat's fourth in charge in his first stint.