NAIROBI, Kenya — Ticket sales for some African Nations Championship (CHAN) matches in Nairobi have been suspended following chaotic scenes that overshadowed Kenya’s 1-0 victory against Morocco at a packed Kasarani Stadium on Sunday.
The win for the Harambee Stars was marred by significant security breaches and crowd control failures both before and during the high-profile match.
According to reports, the lapses included a broken gate, fans entering without tickets, and severe overcrowding that exceeded the stadium’s 48,063 capacity.
A near-stampede was reported after supporters began jumping over the perimeter fence to gain illegal entry.
The situation was further compounded by fans accusing police of using tear gas at a lower entry gate, and a number of supporters invading the media areas, which caused concern among journalists.
Mookh Africa, the official ticketing service provider for the tournament in Kenya, confirmed to Vivid Voice News that ticket sales for upcoming fixtures at the stadium have been halted pending further instructions from tournament organizers.
While the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has launched an investigation, a spokesperson for the body denied that it was responsible for the suspension of sales.
“Caf is concerned about the security situation witnessed at Kenya games,” the spokesperson said, adding, “Caf is engaging with the local organising committee and the (Kenyan) government to address security issues.” The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and the local organising committee have yet to comment.
The incident highlights a recurring problem, as it comes just days after the FKF was fined $20,000 by CAF for earlier crowd control failures in the tournament.
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The disorganization on Sunday was largely fueled by issues with a fraudulent ticket resale market, where many fans holding seemingly valid tickets were left stranded outside the venue.
Witnesses reported seeing rogue vendors selling what appeared to be duplicated tickets just meters from the entry gates.
With three more matches scheduled for Kasarani, including Kenya’s final group game against Zambia and a quarter-final tie, fans are urging authorities to fix the online ticketing system and crack down on fraudsters to ensure the safety and security of future events.
