Football fans have been requested to arrive at the Kasarani Stadium at least five hours before the Zambia-Kenya match on Sunday.
Addressing the press on Tuesday, Football Kenya Federation President Hussein Mohammed urged Kenyans to show up at the stadium early with their electronic tickets to be allowed in the stadium, adding that a fan zone shall be set for those unable to get tickets.
“I urge all Kenyans to turn up at least 5 hours earlier on match days with their digital tickets on their phones. We will set up an official fan zone for those who are unable to get the tickets from the official vendors,” he stated.
Mohammed expressed gratitude for the twelfth man who has been of great support to the national team since the start of the competition as he warned them from buying tickets from unauthorized sellers.
“We are very thankful for the fans turning out in large numbers. We all urge all supporters to strictly purchase tickets from official ticket vendors online from CAF. Once the tickets are sold out, kindly watch the games from home,” he added.
His remarks were emphasised by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) Chairman Nicolas Musonye who said strict access controls will be in place to protect the event’s integrity.
“No one will access the stadium without a ticket. We will enforce by all means possible, because our reputation is at stake. Gates shall be opened at the right time so that things can run smoothly and minimize crowds outside the stadium,” Musonye stated.
The request by FKF comes a day after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced that only 27,000 fans will be allowed to attend the game slated for Sunday, which is 60 per cent of its 48,000 capacity.
Security lapses before and during Harambee Stars matches at Kasarani have forced CAF to restrict entrance to only those with electronic tickets, as those with thermal tickets shall be prohibited.
The African Football governing body on Monday called on LOC and the government will launch a public media campaign to reinforce safety protocols and entry requirements.
“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. We trust these measures will be applied swiftly to protect competition’s integrity, ensure fan safety, and uphold confidence in Kenya’s commitment to the Tournament,” CAF stated.
CAF listed the major security issues that took place, including overrunning of stadium gates and PSAs by ticketless spectators and holders of physical tickets distributed by the government, breaches of the perimeter fence, and loss of control at exit points.
The confederation also pointed out the crowd control failure at Ngomongo roundabout, which resulted in uncontrolled access through multiple gates.
It also noted the use of tear gas and flash grenades, with reports of live ammunition fired near spectators and staff.
The confederation also claimed that violent incidents, including throwing stones at security personnel, and unsafe vehicle movement in spectator areas, were witnessed during the game.
In addition, CAF said there was an inadequate police response despite repeated requests for intervention, and there were no medical incident reports following the reported injuries.
Additionally, the confederation noted that there were insufficient communication tools and there was a lack of CCTV coverage at critical entry points.
