•Matasi traces his humble beginnings at Lwanda high school in Kabras where he sat his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in 2009.
•Immediately after school, second-tier side West Sugar FC afforded him a chance to exhibit his potential. He did not disappoint.
Image: HANDOUT
Kenya has enjoyed a fair share of brilliant custodians who kept the nation astonished with spectacular displays of goal-keeping prowess both on the local and international fronts.
The country vividly reminisces about the unmatched skills our national goalkeepers displayed in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Iconic figures would stand tall in goal and warm our hearts.
The nation has previously glowed in the glory of titles and honours while boasting the amazing pair of hands belonging to the likes of Mahmoud Abbas, David ‘Kamoga’ Ochieng, John Busolo, the late Tirus Omondi, Washington Muhanji and Francis Onyiso.
Kenya continues to witness the brilliance of goalkeepers who have emerged in recent years. One such remarkable talent is Patrick Matasi who currently plies his trade for Kenyan Premier League side, Police FC. The agile and cocky shot-stopper has done an amazing job for the national team as well.
Matasi traces his humble beginnings at Lwanda High School in Kabras where he sat his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in 2009.
“It is there that I began honing my skills as a goalkeeper. I featured for the school in numerous inter-school competitions.”
Immediately after school, second-tier side West Sugar FC afforded him a chance to exhibit his potential. He did not disappoint.
“A friend of mine tipped me about plans to form a team in Kabras. He advised me to give it a try,” Matasi said.
“We discussed this while weeding sugar cane. I immediately shoved my tools aside and went straight for team selection. I impressed and was granted an opportunity to ply trade for the side.”
His prowess in the goal frame came to the fore when Kenyan Premier League behemoths AFC Leopards handed him his topflight debut against Posta Rangers after first-choice custodian Barnabas Tiema got injured during the warm-up.
“I joined AFC Leopards and warmed the bench for quite some time before the opportunity showed up.”
Matasi leveraged the stage to exhibit his true potential, effectively cementing his role as the first-choice goalkeeper. He managed three consecutive clean sheets against Bandari ( 0-0 ), Sony Sugar ( 3-0 ), and Gor Mahia ( 3-0 ).
“I owe God a lot of gratitude for bringing me this far. My career has blossomed tremendously and propelled me to professional heights,” Matasi said.
Image: FILE
A natural leader, Matasi boasts immense power in delivering free-kicks and his peers rate him highly in the specialty. His ability to remain calm in the face of a storm made him a darling of the crowd. He enjoys unmatched power in the air, where he usually rises high to thwart any goal attempts.
He made himself count in his debut game for the men’s national football team, Harambee Stars, where he saved three penalties in a Cecafa final against The Heroes of Zanzibar at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos County in December 2017.
The game was settled by penalties after the teams drew at extra time. Impressed by his exploits, Cefaca organisers nominated him for the Best Player gong.
“Our goalkeeper trainer Haggai Azande had adequately equipped me before the finals. He advised me to maintain a static position when a penalty is taken and I did exactly that.”
Matasi made his international debut in Kenya’s 1-1 draw against Uganda on March 23, 2017. “I played in all the matches in the tournament, where I conceded only two goals,” Matasi said.
“I appreciate coach Stanley Okumbi for handing me my first cap and goalkeeper trainer Azande for turning me into the best goalkeeper,” Matasi said.
The hallmark of his professional career came in 2018 when he completed a Sh4 million move to Ethiopian giants St George on a three-year deal.
“How could I turn down the offer? I was promised Sh400,000 in monthly salaries and Sh2.5 million in sign-on fees. I was also provided with a fully furnished house,” Matasi said.
Image: FILE
“I had patiently waited for this opportunity. It came after a lot of hard work I put into training.”
Scouts from the 29-time Ethiopian Premier League (EPL) champions identified him during the two matches of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers against Walya Antelopes. The club completed the paperwork with Tusker to secure him after monitoring his exploits in the regional showpiece. Matasi has never been short of scandals. He lit up the headlines after acrimoniously parting ways with Kenyan Premier League giants Tusker after a successful season with the Ruaraka-based brewers.
One of the most decorated goalkeepers in the nation, Matasi, made his exit public after striking a deal with Kenyan Premier League rivals, Police FC. Tusker’s refusal to grant him a release prevented his earlier attempt to join the law enforcers during the preceding transfer window.
Matasi courted trouble after absconding from training to protest Tusker’s refusal to release him to join Kenya Police FC. The law enforcers reportedly dangled a plum offer to entice the veteran Harambee Stars goalkeeper into signing a deal. Reports indicate that the deal entailed an offer to join the police service upon completing the mandatory training.
However, the brewers dug in and spurned Matasi’s request to leave the club, insisting that he still had a whole year left on his contract. On August 14, the situation turned ugly as Tusker team manager George Opondo swung into action and penned a letter instructing Matasi to show cause why his contract should not be terminated.
Matasi’s uncertainty sent coach Robert Matano into the transfer market, where he fished out Brian Opondo from Bidco United. Opondo joined the goalkeeping department, which also had Brian Bwire and Michael Wanjala. The outspoken goalkeeper listed his achievements with the brewers who lost the title, saying he owed them a lot for helping him steer his career to new heights.
“I committed to Tusker for two seasons, but after 21 wonderful months, I decided to leave that place. I enjoyed my time at Tusker, and I do value how I was treated there,” Matasi said.
Image: FILE
“We worked extremely hard as a team and won two KPL titles, but one was later revoked for reasons that are already known to the public,” he added.
Matasi remarked that donning the brewers’ jersey increased his visibility on the global stage. “After I joined the brewers, I had many opportunities to perform on a global stage. In my football career, I had the opportunity to participate in the Caf Champions League for the first time."
“I was able to advance my career as a result of the opportunity the club gave me. Within this period, I managed to feature for the national team, Harambee Stars where we defeated Ghana at Moi Stadium, Kasarani in Nairobi,” he said.
Given the unique bond he had already formed with his teammates, he claimed it was difficult to leave the club. “We were an intimate family. I had a special bond with the players, the technical bench, the youth team, and the company as a whole.
“We worked extremely hard as a team and won two KPL titles, but one was later revoked for reasons that are already known to the public,” he added.
Matasi remarked that donning the brewers’ jersey increased his visibility on the global stage. “After I joined the brewers, I had many opportunities to perform on a global stage. In my football career, I had the opportunity to participate in the Caf Champions League for the first time.”
“I was able to advance my career as a result of the opportunity the club gave me. Within this period, I managed to feature for the national team, Harambee Stars where we defeated Ghana at Moi Stadium, Kasarani in Nairobi,” he said.
Given the unique bond he had already formed with his teammates, he claimed it was difficult to leave the club. “We were an intimate family. I had a special bond with the players, the technical bench, the youth team, and the company as a whole.
“Despite this, life must go on, and I now have no choice but to move on. All I can do at this point is express my gratitude for all the support they provided while I was a member of the club.”
Even after departing, Matasi is beseeching the brewers to punch above their weight in their future endeavours. He is urging clubs to exercise patience when things are going south. When the results are slow to come in, I’m pleading with the sponsors to be understanding with the team. We experienced a similar challenge last season but picked ourselves together to deliver the title.”
He advises aspiring goalkeepers to work extremely hard, noting that there is no shortcut to the big stage.
“They must keep their focus intact. It’s not always going to be a bed of roses but they can achieve a lot with perseverance and determination.”