Kenya’s upcoming CHAN match against Zambia will be played in front of a reduced crowd, following repeated stadium invasions by fans, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN), co-hosted for the first time by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, has faced several challenges, including stadium readiness issues and now unruly home crowds.
In recent games at Nairobi’s Kasarani Stadium, fans without tickets were seen storming the venue, with chaotic scenes widely shared and criticised on social media.
As a result, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has fined the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) $17,500 and ordered attendance restrictions for Sunday’s match.
CAF told us we can’t have a full stadium, said Nicholas Musonye, chairman of the local organising committee. Only 27,000 fans with valid online tickets will be allowed in. No physical tickets will be accepted.
Kasarani Stadium has a capacity of 48,000 for CHAN games.
Musonye admitted the situation was self-inflicted:
Why should we be punished? It’s our bad behaviour. Security will be on high alert to enforce the order.
FKF President Hussein Mohammed called for discipline and cooperation from fans:
The future of Kenyan football depends on our collective responsibility. Continued breaches could lead to harsher sanctions and deny fans future opportunities.
He added that fan zones would be set up for supporters unable to attend the sold-out match.
As of Tuesday, all tickets for the high-stakes Kenya vs Zambia clash had already been sold online. Kenya currently tops Group A with seven points, and a win on Sunday would secure them a home quarter-final spot.
CAF has not yet responded to requests for further comment.
