This archive report was first published on 1 October 2019.
October 1, 2019
Harambee Stars coach Francis Kimanzi has made some tough decisions ahead of the team's upcoming fixtures, and one of the most notable is the dropping of first-choice goalkeeper Patrick Matasi.
According to Kimanzi, Matasi's physical shape is a major concern, as he has only been training with AFC Leopards to maintain his fitness level. This, combined with a dip in form, has led Kimanzi to cut Matasi loose for the time being.
“Against Uganda (in another friendly last month) Matasi had a very bad game, he was not in good form and he almost cost us defeat. He has only been training with AFC Leopards to keep fit and you cannot compare his performance with Ian (Otieno) at the moment. I want to see what the other keepers can offer in the absence of Matasi”
Matasi is not the only player to have been dropped, with Ayub Timbe, Francis Kahata, Boniface Muchiri, and Michael Kibwage also missing out on selection. In their place, Kimanzi has called up Ian Otieno, Farouk Shikalo, and Timothy Odhiambo to form the team's goalkeeping trio.
