Nairobi — Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat hopes that the friendly match against Qatar on Thursday evening in Doha will give him a clear picture of how well the team is ready ahead of November's World Cup qualifiers.

The tactician says it is important for the team to play tough games in order to see how they react tro difficult situations, something that will come in handy for the 2026 qualifiers with opponents such as Ivory Coast and Gabon in the picture.

"Kenya rarely plays tough countries in friendly matches and this is important for us to develop. In June I wanted us to play some European opposition but it was not possible because of finances. Qatar is a good football country and they are ranked higher than us. It will be key for us to perform well in such a game," Firat says.

He adds; "The game will give me a picture of what to expect of my team in tough games because we have the likes of Ivory Coast, Gabon and Gambia in our World Cup group."

Meanwhile, Furat says he will now have a more stable squad and reduce on the tinkering as he gears up towards November. After the Qatar game, Stars will play South Sudan on Tuesday and according to the Football Kenya Federation, there are plans to have one or two more friendly games in October.

"I have tried to see different players in different positions and how they work together. We will not have so many changes moving forward because I have started to think about November. Now, I need more stability because towards the game you cannot make changes a lot," said the coach.

He says the reduced changes will both be around the personnel as well as the tactics and formations.

Against Qatar, the tactician will most likely field what he deems as his strongest starting team.

Meanwhile, Ayub Timbe, who was an injury doubt for the game, trained with the rest of the squad in Doha on Wednesday night and might have a part to play in the game.