Ahead of Kenya’s final Group A fixture against Zambia, the African body has outlined stringent measures for Kenya to adhere to, failure to which could result in more severe sanctions, including relocating future fixtures to alternative venues.
A statement from CAF confirmed they had written to the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) led by chairman Nicholas Musonye to raise the serious concerns and further condemned the continuous security breaches including the incident that took place when Kenya defeated Morocco 1-0 at Kasarani Stadium.
Key incidents included the overrunning of stadium gates by ticketless fans and holders of physical tickets distributed by the government, breaches of the perimeter fence, and loss of control at exit points. There was also an initial crowd control failure at Ngomongo roundabout, allowing uncontrolled access through multiple gates.
CAF condemns continuous security breaches
"The Confederation African Football (CAF) has already written to the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) in Kenya of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 raising some serious concerns in relation to breaches in security measures at Kasarani Stadium during Kenya National Team’s matches,” read part of the statement from CAF.
“CAF strongly condemns the continuous security breaches, including the incidents that took place on Sunday, August 10th, during the Kenya vs Morocco CHAN fixture.”
The statement continued: “CAF has referred the security breaches to competent bodies for Investigation and appropriate action. CAF is in discussions with the LOC in Kenya and the Kenyan Government to ensure compliance with the CAF Regulations including Safety and Security protocols.”
Under the new measures, stadium capacity will be capped at 60 per cent, allowing a maximum of 27,000 tickets per match. Only electronic ticket holders will be granted entry, with thermal tickets explicitly prohibited to curb gate overruns and ticketing irregularities.
CAF further directed the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and the Kenyan government to launch a public accountability and compliance campaign. This campaign will use media platforms to reinforce safety protocols and educate fans on the new entry requirements.
The latest sanctions by CAF, comes just a few days after they fined the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) a total of Ksh2.5 million (USD 20,000) and cautioned that further breaches of its strict tournament protocols could attract harsher sanctions.
LOC outlines measures to curb security breaches
In response, LOC chairman Musonye has issued new safety measures, which he has requested Kenyans to attend matches to adhere to.
“As we celebrate the unprecedented success on and off the field of play, we must address recent unfortunate incidents of crowd trouble that our collective, unbridled excitement has visited on some of the matches at Kasarani Stadium,” read part of the statement from LOC seen by Flashscore.
“To ensure the safety of all attendees, the smooth running and success of the tournament, and to maintain the envious reputation of Kenyan football, we call all the supporters to strictly observe the following safety measures:
- You are advised to purchase match tickets only from the authorised online vendor as only from the authorized online vendor as only e-tickets will be valid form entry, and not printed versions;
- You are encouraged to arrive at the stadium on Match Day at least five (5) hours before kick-off with your ticket ready on your mobile phone for quick clarification;
- Everyone must follow all security guidelines and instructions from event officials all the time.
The statement continued: “Continued security breaches risk attracting severe sanctions from the relevant authorities, sanctions that would ultimately deny Kenyan fans the chance to enjoy such events in the future and erode the gains that we have already achieved in the recent past.”
LOC further confirmed they were making arrangements to set up Official Fan Zones where supporters can gather and watch Harambee Stars’ final Group A clash against Zambia in a safe and controlled environment on Sunday, August 17th.
