Kenya has been issued new regulations by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following the chaos that occurred at Kasarani on Sunday during the match between Kenya’s Harambee Stars and Morocco.
Many individuals forced their way into the stadium without tickets, leading to significant security concerns and a near-stampede situation.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has directed that stadium attendance be limited to 60% capacity, which means that only 27,000 fans will be allowed instead of the usual 48,063.
Entry will strictly require electronic tickets, and if these rules are not followed, Kenya risks having its home games played in other countries.
Additional measures include the launch of a public media campaign by the Kenyan government and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) 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, including the potential relocation of future matches to alternative venues,” reads the CAF statement.
The key regulations include: a restriction on stadium capacity to a maximum of 60%, allowing for only 27,000 fans, and limiting entry to those with electronic tickets obtained online.
These latest directives will directly impact fans, resulting in Benni McCarthy’s side playing in front of a reduced crowd and potentially facing more severe consequences if the measures are not fully implemented.
Among the security lapses mentioned in CAF’s statement are: unauthorised entry through stadium gates by ticketless spectators, initial crowd control failures at Ngomongo roundabout, the use of teargas and flash grenades, instances of stone-throwing at security personnel, inadequate police response, insufficient communication tools, and a lack of CCTV coverage at critical entry points.
