The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved an 80% stadium capacity for Kenya’s CHAN quarterfinal clash against Madagascar on Friday, August 22.
This means that at least 38,400 fans are expected to attend the match at Moi International Sports Complex, Kasarani, marking a significant increase from the 27,000 supporters who watched Kenya secure a win against Zambia on Sunday.
The decision comes after Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya and the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) appealed to the federation to revise Kasarani Stadium’s capacity from the current 60% to full capacity.
CAF had limited the number of spectators to 27,000 (60 per cent) of the stadium’s capacity, due to repeated and serious security lapses at Harambee Stars’ CHAN 2024 fixtures.
CAF Increases Stadium Capacity to 38,400 for Kenya vs Madagascar CHAN Quarterfinal
Reducing fan attendance at the 48,000-seater stadium by 40 percent was among several key measures that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) took to prevent a repeat of security breaches and crowd trouble during Harambee Stars’ matches.
On Sunday, ahead of Harambee Stars’ highly anticipated Group “A” clash against Morocco, scores of fans jumped over fences to gain access to the stadium.
Also Read: Kenya Vs Madagascar Road to Quarters: Players to Watch, Paths and Head-to-Head
This came barely a week after the CAF Disciplinary Board imposed a total fine of Ksh 2.5 million ($20,000) on the FKF for breaching the CAF Disciplinary Code and CAF Safety and Security Regulations during the group’s two matches held on August 3.
Since then, FKF has been fined a total of about Ksh 12.8 million by the CAF Disciplinary Board over multiple safety and security breaches that occurred during the group stage games.
Fans Zone Increased from 10 to 13
Meanwhile, the FKF and the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) have expanded access for fans by increasing the number of official fan zones from 10 to 13, giving more Kenyans the opportunity to rally behind the national team.
The new additions—Ruiru, Dagoretti’s Camp Toyoyo, and Babadogo—join the existing fan zones at Uhuru Park, Archives, Dandora, Jacaranda, Clay City, Githurai, Kibra DC Grounds, and Lucky Summer in Kasarani.
Also Read: CAF Makes Changes in CHAN Ticket Purchase Time
Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya further welcomed private and county stakeholders interested in establishing fan zones across Nairobi and Mombasa as alternative venues for fans to enjoy the games.
In partnership with the County Government of Mombasa, six additional fan zones will be hosted at Changamwe Volleyball Grounds in Changamwe Sub County, St. Mary’s Bangladesh Grounds in Jomvu Sub County, and Mama Ngina Waterfront in Mvita Sub County.
Others include Shelly Beach in Likoni Sub County, Hassan Joho Stadium (Uwanja wa Mbuzi) in Nyali Sub County, and Bilima Grounds in Kisauni Sub County. These venues will provide fans with large screens, quality sound, entertainment, and, above all, safe spaces to follow the matches.
CAF has also increased ticket prices for the knockout round, setting them at Ksh 600 (Silver) and Ksh 250 (Regular), up from Ksh 500 and Ksh 200 during the group stages. Organizers are yet to reveal the number of tickets released for public sale.
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