Former Harambee Stars goalkeeper Patrick Matasi will likely face a suspension from football activities after the High Court threw out a matter in which he had pleaded for a doping conviction to be put aside.
Matasi had been provisionally suspended from all football activity in the country for 90 days in late March amid an investigation into allegations of match manipulation.
Football Kenya Federation (FKF) took the decision back then, hours after the governing body announced it had launched an investigation into the 37-year-old. However, Matasi quickly rushed to the High Court in Kakamega to stop the suspension pending investigations.
The case arose after a video posted online appeared to show the keeper agreeing a deal to influence the outcome of a game.
On Tuesday, 8 April, Matasi secured a conservatory order restraining FKF from enforcing the provisional suspension pending investigations. However, today, Tuesday, 21 October, the High Court lifted the orders, ruling that it was persuaded by FKF’s arguments and found that the federation had acted within its statutes while suspending Matasi.
Matasi, who plays for Kenyan Premier League club Kakamega Homeboyz and has won over 30 international caps.
Kakamega Homeboyz coach, Cleophas Shimanyula, said that Matasi denied the allegations and said that his club would support the goalkeeper in his time of trouble.
"He was shocked at what he was seeing in the video and he told me he doesn't know about match-fixing," Shimanyula told Radio Generation Sport back in March. Kakamega Homeboyz is against any form of match manipulation."
Matasi's most recent appearance for Kenya came in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Cameroon last October. The Harambee Stars lost the game 4-1.
The FKF said it would work with world governing body Fifa, the Confederation of African Football and other "relevant authorities" during its investigation.
This temporarily halted any disciplinary action against the veteran goalkeeper, who has previously featured for AFC Leopards, Posta Rangers, Tusker FC, St. George SC (Ethiopia), Kenya Police FC, most recently Kakamega Homeboyz and the Harambee Stars, but he did not return to the pitch for his club.
