The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has approved an 80% stadium capacity for Kenya’s CHAN quarterfinal clash against Madagascar on Friday, August 22.
With this adjustment, about 38,400 fans will be allowed into Moi International Sports Complex kasarani—a notable rise from the 27,000 who turned up to watch Kenya’s victory over Zambia on Sunday.
The change follows an appeal from Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya and the Football Kenya Federation (FKF), who requested CAF to lift the restrictions and allow a bigger crowd at Kasarani.
CAF had earlier capped attendance at 60% (roughly 27,000 seats) because of repeated security concerns during Harambee Stars’ CHAN 2024 matches.
One of the main steps taken by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to curb security lapses and crowd disturbances at Harambee Stars’ fixtures was slashing Kasarani Stadium’s 48,000 capacity by 40 percent.
The move came after chaotic scenes on Sunday, when large numbers of fans forced their way in by scaling fences before Kenya’s much-anticipated Group “A” encounter with Morocco.
This incident followed closely after the CAF Disciplinary Board slapped the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) with a Ksh 2.5 million ($20,000) fine for violating CAF’s Disciplinary Code and Safety and Security Regulations during the group’s August 3 fixtures.
In total, FKF has now accumulated penalties amounting to roughly Ksh 12.8 million, stemming from repeated safety and security violations throughout the group stage.
At the same time, the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) have widened fan access by increasing the number of official viewing zones from 10 to 13, allowing more Kenyans to support the Harambee Stars.
The newly added venues—Ruiru, Camp Toyoyo in Dagoretti, and Babadogo—will complement the existing fan parks at Uhuru Park, Archives, Dandora, Jacaranda, Clay City, Githurai, Kibra DC Grounds, and Lucky Summer in Kasarani.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya also encouraged private and county partners to set up more fan zones in Nairobi and Mombasa as alternative venues where supporters can enjoy the tournament.
Working with the Mombasa County Government, six additional zones have been confirmed: Changamwe Volleyball Grounds (Changamwe Sub County), St. Mary’s Bangladesh Grounds (Jomvu Sub County), and Mama Ngina Waterfront (Mvita Sub County). Others include Shelly Beach (Likoni Sub County), Hassan Joho Stadium/Uwanja wa Mbuzi (Nyali Sub County), and Bilima Grounds (Kisauni Sub County). Each will feature giant screens, sound systems, entertainment, and secure environments for fans to follow the action.
Meanwhile, CAF has raised ticket prices for the knockout stage to Ksh 600 for Silver and Ksh 250 for Regular, up from Ksh 500 and Ksh 200 during the group phase. However, organizers have not yet disclosed how many tickets will be available to the public.
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