Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat refused to be drawn into the debate surrounding the performance of goalkeeper Patrick Matasi in the 4-1 drubbing by Cameroon in Yaoundé on Friday 11 October evening, and whether he would be dropped for Monday’s game against the five-time African champions.Matasi was uncharacteristically shaky in the game and was at fault for the second and fourth goals as Kenya suffered a heavy defeat.His performance drew widespread criticism across the nation, with many faulting him for the loss and questioning Firat’s decision to select him despite previous high-profile mistakes while representing the national team.##NAJAVA_MECA_8412057##Addressing the press on Sunday 13 October afternoon in Uganda ahead of the return leg at Namboole Stadium, Firat was philosophical when asked if the keeper would be benched for Monday’s match.”We win together, we lose together, so I make the decisions. If any player doesn’t bring the performance that everybody expects, then of course I have to react,” he said. “That’s all I can say. What happened, happened, and I don’t have anything more to add.”Reflecting on the game, Firat admitted that the outcome was a blow for his team.”We came out of the game with a very big disappointment,” he said. “We tried to analyze what happened, and the biggest difference in the game was the aggressiveness between Kenya and Cameroon.”Barry Otieno joins race for presidency five days after resigning as FKF CEOFirat also criticized the referee for awarding Cameroon a penalty for the opener after Eric Ouma was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the box.”We had a lot of individual mistakes. I also want to talk about the first goal, the penalty — it’s a joke. We didn’t even touch the ball; it didn’t change direction, but the referee didn’t issue a yellow card to someone he claimed handled the ball,” he added.He called for the introduction of VAR in African qualifiers.”It’s high time African football brought in VAR. It’s for all of us, not just for one side, because conceding a penalty in the 8th minute has a huge psychological impact on the outcome of the game,” Firat concluded.Harambee Stars captain Olunga doubtful for Cameroon clash
