Harambee Stars head coach Engin Firat has said the team needs more than a year to be ready to compete at the highest level.

Speaking after Tuesday night’s 2-1 defeat to Iran in a friendly match in Tehran, the tactician says there still remains a lot of work to be done with the team.

“In one year, we will be ready, but now we still have more work to do. We need more time to develop,” the coach said after the match in Tehran.

He added; “I said always that we need time for these boys. This was their first time together in a long time and against a very strong team like Iran. It was always going to be difficult. But I am happy with the way they played and fought for everything,”

“We were unlucky to lose but in the end everyone understands that we have a clear way to follow,” the coach added.

Stars are out of competitive football for probably the next eight months as they are out of the qualifiers for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

The next tournament in sight for Stars will be the 2024 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN), a tournament tailored for local based players only.

Meanwhile, Firat says he was pleased with the cameo performances for new boys Daniel Anyembe and Alfred Scriven, also maintaining they need more time to blend in with the team.

“If someone comes from Europe, they need time to adapt. I am happy they got their debut tonight and hope many more will follow,”