Kenya Police and Harambee Stars keeper Patrick Matasi - Photo Courtesy Police Media.
Kenya Police goalkeeper Patrick Matasi has dismissed allegations that he wants to quit playing for the national team Harambee Stars.
There have been reports on social media that the former AFC Leopards and Posta Rangers custodian was considering hanging his gloves after being overlooked by coach Engin Firat for Kenya’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Matasi was axed from the squad following his below per display in the 4-1 defeat against Cameroon. Apart from AFCON, Matasi also missed the two-legged Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier against South Sudan.
Matasi has rubbished the reports saying he is still fit to represent his country. “I am not ready to retire from national team, not yet, the time will come when I will make the announcement but not now. I still feel I am fit enough to represent my country for now my focus is on the league, and I want to help Police to get wins and leave down there (bottom of the table),” Matasi told Pan-Africa Football.
Matasi, however, admitted to being disturbed following Firat’s decision to axe him by saying: “I asked the technical bench (of Kenya Police) to give me a rest for some few matches so that I can cool the pressure, and they granted my permission and after that rest, I came back to the starting eleven.
“Since the AFCON game against Cameroon (which we lost 4-1 away), things have not been easy for me up to now, things have not been happening the way I would like and I think it took a lot of time to get off my head and the latest win will help forget about the past and focus for the next matches because I want to build a good history going forward.”
On the performance of Police so far this season, Matasi said: “We have been struggling it has not been good for us, last game we won was against Mathare United and our win against Nairobi City Stars is very positive and has helped us to get the second win of the season.”
Police are currently lying 13th on the 18-team table with 11 points from nine matches. They have managed two wins, five draws and two defeats.
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