AFCON 2025: Cameroon named in match-fixing probe over Kenya qualifier

On Thursday, the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) announced it was opening an investigation, in collaboration with FIFA and CAF, into suspected match-fixing. Cameroon v Kenya (a 4-1 win for the Indomitable Lions) last October, in the 3rd round of AFCON 2025 qualifying, is reportedly one of the matches involved.

Cameroon v Kenya under scrutiny?

There is no respite in Cameroonian football, even though the FIFA break ended this week with the 6th round of 2026 World Cup qualifiers. A video posted on social media of Patrick Matasi, a 37-year-old goalkeeper, apparently discussing a plan to fix matches, prompted the federation to dig deeper. The FKF ultimately opened an investigation on the back of this amateur clip, which has been doing the rounds online, but invited anyone else with further evidence to contact it and give testimony anonymously. “The FKF defends the integrity of football and has launched an official investigation, in collaboration with FIFA, CAF and other competent authorities. We reaffirm our zero-tolerance policy on match manipulation and are committed to preserving the credibility of our competition”, it said in a statement.

Read also: Cameroon: players break their silence amid standoff between Fecafoot and the sports ministry

Cameroon v Kenya on 11 October 2024, which ended in an emphatic 4-1 win for the Indomitable Lions, is reportedly one of the matches covered by the investigation, according to RFI. Since then, fans have begun questioning Patrick Matassi's actions on Cameroon's second goal, scored by Martin Hongla, and the fourth, scored by Christian Bassogog, moments where many feel he could have done better. But that is not all.

This 💀
pic.twitter.com/mcFm3uWl1J

— Kijana Ya Atwoli ( parody ) (@AtwoliiYa) March 27, 2025

Patrick Matassi at the centre of the allegations

On social media, users have posted videos of matches in which Patrick Matasi's integrity is questioned, for both country and club. Among the clips, errors (with his hands) against Iran (a 2-1 defeat) and in distribution against Zamalek, in a 2-1 defeat for his club Police FC in the CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round, were the most glaring, fuelling fans' suspicion that there may be truth in what the 37-year-old goalkeeper is accused of.

Since that game against Cameroon, Matasi has not been recalled to the national team, and the opening of this investigation will surely not help him get back in. Amid this heavy atmosphere, his new club, Kakamega Homeboyz Football Club, has backed him, rejecting the idea that its player is corrupt. “When we watched this video, we found that Matasi had not wronged the club. In a video, there can be misinterpretations and mistaken narratives, and we cannot believe everything. He will keep playing for us because there is no wrongdoing on his part as far as we are concerned - unless there is evidence or the FKF writes to us to say it suspects the player of wrongdoing. He is innocent until proven otherwise and we will act then”, said club chairman Cleophas Shimanyula, speaking to the BBC.

The leaked video of him negotiating. Brush chose money instead of integrity

pic.twitter.com/VA0ewipgZJ

— Kijana Ya Atwoli ( parody ) (@AtwoliiYa) March 27, 2025

If these allegations are obviously very serious should they be proven, this would not be the first case of its kind in Kenya. In 2020, FIFA suspended three players for match-fixing, one of them for life. Three years later, the federation suspended 14 players and 2 coaches for the same offences.