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Kenya has launched an investigation into match-fixing following claims that a national team goalkeeper was involved in manipulating an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) acknowledged awareness of videos circulating on the internet featuring goalkeeper Patrick Matasi, which raise concerns about potential match rigging.
A secretly filmed amateur video obtained by AFP depicts an unidentified individual discussing a plan with Matasi to fix a match in exchange for money. The former AFC Leopards and Tusker player, who also had a stint with Ethiopian Coffee Sports Club, participated in Kenya’s 4-1 defeat against former African champions Cameroon during a 2025 AFCON qualifier in Yaounde last October.
This loss diminished Kenya’s chances of qualifying for the finals in Morocco, ultimately resulting in Engin Firat’s resignation as coach.
The new coach, Benni McCarthy, excluded Matasi from the squad and did not play in the recent 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Gambia and Gabon.
Kenyan football has been plagued by match-fixing issues in recent years. In January 2023, the FKF suspended 14 players and two coaches after allegations of cheating in the national league surfaced.
In February 2020, FIFA banned four players based in Kenya—one receiving a lifetime ban—due to their involvement in an “international conspiracy” to fix league matches.
Five Kenyan referees were subsequently suspended in connection with this same scandal.
The Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis, an independent research organization, cautioned that match-fixing has permeated various levels of Kenyan football, from grassroots events to professional leagues.
