The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has issued strict directives to Kenya as the host nation for the CHAN tournament.
The new directives came hot on the heels of various security lapses experienced on Sunday, August 10, during the Harambee Stars versus Morocco match held at the Moi International Sports Center, Kasarani.
As earlier reported by this site, charged crowds overwhelmed security personnel and accessed the venue.
Thousands of football fans forced their way into the stadium after evading checking points, which goes against the body’s guidelines regarding CHAN.
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Following the ugly scenes, Confederation of African Football in an official statement slapped Kenya with several tough directives to curb the aforementioned in the upcoming games.
“Following repeated security lapses during Kenya’s home matches at Kasarani Stadium, CAF has taken the decision to impose immediate measures for upcoming fixtures in Kasarani involving the host nation,” CAF statement read in part.
“Despite multiple warmings and previous sanctions, the necessary measures to control ticketless spectators, ensure effective crowd management and fully comply with CAF security requirements have not been implemented,” it added.
For starters, Confederation of African Football limited the number of spectators allowed at Harambee Stars’ home matches at the Moi International Sports Center, Kasarani to only 27,000, which is 60 per cent of the stadium’s capacity.
According to the statement, the decision was reached after Kenya failed to address crowd control and safety issues during the Sunday match between Harambee Stars and Morocco.
It also noted that thousands of fans accessed the venue without tickets while others with government – issued paper tickets overrunning gates, breaching perimeter fences and overwhelming security at exit points.
Other issues cited by CAF include the use of teargas and flash grenade by police, reports of live bullets fired near spectators and staff, unsafe motor movement in spectator areas, inadequate police intervention, insufficient communication and CCTV coverage at important entry points.
“Capacity restriction: Maximum 60% of stadium capacity (27000 tickets)
Ticketing: Entry strictly limited to electronic ticket holders, thermal tickets prohibited.
Public accountability and compliance campaign: LOC and government to launch a public media campaign reinforcing safety protocols and entry requirements,” CAF stated.
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CAF warned that failure to comply with the issued directives may lead to serious sanctions such as changing venue for Harambee Stars matches.
“CAF expects full and immediate compliance with these directives. Failure to implement them may result in more serious sanctions, which may include the consideration of alternative venues for future matches of the host team,” CAF warned.
It should be noted that the Sunday incident came despite hefty penalties imposed on Kenya following similar security lapses during the Harambee Stars’ opening CHAN Group A match against DR Congo at Moi International Sports Center, Kasarani, on Sunday, August 3, 2025.
In a CAF ruling made public on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, Football Kenya Federation (FKF) was fined Sh 2.5 million and cautioned that further breaches of protocols could attract even more stringent sanctions.
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