Kenya’s upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN) fixture against Zambia will be played under stricter crowd control measures following repeated stadium invasions by fans, local organisers confirmed on Tuesday.
The tournament, jointly hosted for the first time by East African nations Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, has faced setbacks — from delayed stadium preparations to crowd unrest that has marred the otherwise historic occasion.
Incidents of ticketless fans storming Nairobi’s Kasarani Stadium during previous matches involving Kenya have drawn widespread criticism, with footage of the chaos circulating heavily on social media.
In response, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) $17,500 for the disorder and instructed local organisers to restrict attendance.
“CAF have told us we shall not have a full stadium,” said Nicholas Musonye, chairman of the local organising committee. “Why should we be punished? It’s our bad behaviour. Only 27,000 fans who have purchased online e-tickets will be allowed to enter the stadium,” he added, noting that physical tickets will no longer be accepted. The stadium has a designated CHAN capacity of 48,000.
Musonye assured that security personnel will be on high alert to enforce the new measures.
FKF President Hussein Mohammed also weighed in, urging fans to comply with CAF’s safety protocols: “The future of Kenyan football depends on our collective responsibility and cooperation. Continued security breaches risk attracting severe sanctions that could deprive fans of the opportunity to witness major football events on home soil.”
CAF has yet to officially respond to media inquiries regarding the imposed restrictions.
Meanwhile, tickets for the Kenya-Zambia match on Sunday were reported sold out by Tuesday, according to the event’s ticketing platform. For those unable to gain entry, the FKF plans to establish designated fan zones to accommodate supporters.
Kenya currently tops Group A with seven points, and a win over Zambia could secure them a home quarter-final fixture.
