Harambee Stars custodian Matasi tears FKF in court
By Dennis Mabuka, April 10, 2025Kakamega Homeboyz have reinstated veteran goalkeeper Patrick Matasi, a day after the High Court temporarily lifted his 90-day suspension from all Football Kenya Federation (FKF)-sanctioned events over match-fixing allegations.
The Harambee Stars custodian was provisionally banned on March 27 following the circulation of a viral video that allegedly implicated him in match manipulation.
However, Matasi successfully challenged the decision in court and secured a conservatory order on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, allowing him to return to football activities.
In a ruling delivered by Justice S.N Mbungi at the Kakamega High Court, Matasi was named the petitioner while FKF was listed as the respondent.
The court restrained FKF from enforcing its suspension, directed the federation to file a response within 30 days, and scheduled a hearing for June 4.
Part of the ruling obtained by Flashscore reads: “The respondent has not responded to the application nor attended court. I deem the application to be unopposed. I do issue a conservatory order restraining the respondent… from acting on the communication dated March 27, 2025, that suspended the applicant Matasi from all FKF-sanctioned events and competitions pending the hearing and determination of the petition.”
‘Welcome home’
Club chairman and owner Cleophas Shimanyula confirmed on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, that they had received and verified the authenticity of the court order and opted to reinstate Matasi.
“I received the court order today [Wednesday] and confirmed its authenticity with the court. As a club that respects the rule of law, we have no option but to accept Matasi back into the squad,” Shimanyula told Flashscore.
“Matasi chose to fight his battle independently, and now that the court has spoken, he’s free to play. It’s now up to the coach to decide if he’s fit enough to feature,” he added.
Shimanyula further stated that the club had reinstated Matasi’s salary, which had been frozen after FKF’s suspension.
Knee-jerk reaction
Shimanyula also criticised FKF’s handling of the case, accusing the federation of rushing to punish the player without solid evidence.
“I knew from the first day after watching that video that FKF didn’t have strong evidence. That’s why the court made this decision. If there’s evidence, let it be produced in court,” he said.
He questioned the move to involve investigative bodies such as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), suggesting that FKF had acted prematurely.
“Was it necessary to bring in the DCI when FKF hadn’t built a credible case? The new FKF CEO Harold Ndege acted too fast without following football regulations. He may go down as the worst CEO in FKF history if he continues like this,” Shimanyula claimed.
Matasi, who made his debut for the national team in 2017 and has 35 caps, was axed from the Harambee Stars squad after Kenya’s 4-1 loss to Cameroon during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers.
The leaked video that sparked the controversy allegedly shows Matasi discussing a deal to manipulate a match. The footage was secretly recorded, but its origin and context remain unclear. Matasi has denied involvement and claimed he was not the individual in the recording.
Kakamega Homeboyz are set to face Shabana FC in a domestic Cup Round of 16 clash at Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu on Saturday, April 12.
Matasi joined Kakamega Homeboyz in February after leaving Kenya Police FC. The veteran shot-stopper, who struggled for game at the law enforcers’ side due to inconsistent performance got a new lease on the life of his career after joining the Kakamega-based outfit.
During a past interview, Shimanyula confirmed that the custodian was the club’s first signing of the transfer window.