Kenya Goalkeeper Faces Suspension over Match-Fixing Claims
The 37-year-old goalkeeper was allegedly seen in a video agreeing to influence the outcome of a match.
Kenya.- The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has provisionally suspended national team goalkeeper Patrick Matasi pending an investigation into his alleged involvement in match-fixing.
The FKF announced its decision on Thursday evening, hours after revealing that it had launched a probe into the player.
The issue stemmed from an undated video posted online, which appeared to show Matasi agreeing to manipulate the outcome of a league game.
The FKF stated that it would work with Fifa, CAF and other relevant stakeholders during the probe.
A statement from the FKF read: “We reaffirm our zero-tolerance policy on match manipulation and are committed to safeguarding the credibility of our competitions.
“This investigation will adhere to FKF’s anti-match manipulation regulations and Fifa guidelines, ensuring a fair, transparent and thorough process.
“The rights of the player and his club will be respected, and appropriate action will be taken based on the findings.”
Matasi plays for the Homeboyz in the Kenyan Premier League and has earned over 30 international appearances for the Harambee Stars. His last outing for the national team was in October 2024, during a qualifying match for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Matasi is yet to issue a statement regarding the allegations. However, the Homeboyz have expressed support for the 37-year-old.
Homeboyz owner Cleophas Shimanyula said: “When we watched this video, we found that Matasi has not wronged the club. In a video, there can be misinterpretations and false narratives, and we cannot trust everything.
“He will keep playing for us because there’s no wrongdoing on his part as far as we are concerned – unless there’s evidence or the FKF writes to us to say they are suspecting the player of some wrongdoing. He is innocent until proven guilty and then we will act.”
In the meantime, the FKF has appealed for anyone with relevant information to come forward and support the investigation. It assures that all information received will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
