Fans Frustrated as Kenya’s Match Tickets Disappear from CAF

Kenyan football fans have expressed widespread frustration and confusion following the sudden unavailability of online tickets for the upcoming CHAN's Kenya vs Zambia game.

This public outcry comes amid reports that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has frozen all ticket sales for matches at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, due to serious safety and security breaches.

Ticketing Confusion Sparks Outcry

Fans attempting to purchase tickets for the crucial Kenya vs Zambia clash online were met with a baffling situation.

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Social media posts from a number of frustrated individuals highlighted the contradictory information allegedly being provided by ticketing partner Mookh Africa.

One fan, @Jahmu__, posted a screenshot on X, questioning why tickets that were scheduled to go live at 7pm were then postponed to August 12th, only to be marked as “sold out” a week before the game.

Another user, @nan_viz, recounted a similar experience, with the sales being halted at 9pm on August 10th after an initial wait. The sentiment of fans was captured in a quote from one of the posts:

"Hii ni tabia gani kusema ukweli mnaongelea digital ticketing na tickets zote zinatoka backdoor" (What kind of behaviour is this, honestly, you're talking about digital ticketing yet all the tickets are being released through the backdoor).

CAF Halts Sales Over Safety Breaches

The reason behind the ticketing chaos became clearer after several journalists and news outlets reported on a major decision by CAF.

According to reports from well-known sports journalist Ole Teya and media personality Carol Radull, CAF has put a freeze on all ticket sales for upcoming fixtures at the Kasarani stadium.

The decision was triggered by a series of safety and security breaches that occurred during the Harambee Stars’ game against Morocco.

“CAF has halted ticket sales for all matches at Kasarani, including next Sunday’s Kenya vs Zambia game, after safety breaches during the Morocco match,” the journalists reported.

The incidents included a broken gate, fans entering the stadium without tickets, severe overcrowding beyond the venue’s capacity, an invasion of the media centre, and the use of tear gas.

The circulating email, allegedly from MOOKH Support Teamfurther confirmed the suspension of ticket sales citing "the security breach in Kasarani yesterday" as the reason for the halt "until further notice from the organizers."

Background of Kasarani’s Security Issues

This is not the first time CAF has taken action against Kenyan football over security concerns.

Just last week, CAF fined Kenya KSh 2.6 million following similar security breaches during the opening CHAN 2024 Group A match against DR Congo.

The incidents in that match included fans breaking a security barrier and entering the stadium with drums and whistles, which are in violation of CAF regulations.

Part of the fine, KSh 320,000, was suspended on the condition that Kenya does not repeat the violations.

These repeated security lapses have put the country’s ability to host international matches in the spotlight and have led to the current suspension of ticketing, leaving fans in limbo about the highly anticipated Kenya vs Zambia match. CAF’s disciplinary and safety committees are yet to put out an official statement confirming the freezing of Kenya’s match tickets.