CAF imposes strict measures for Harambee Stars matches at Kasarani
By Joel Masibo, August 12, 2025The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has imposed stringent measures for Kenya’s upcoming home matches at Kasarani Stadium, ahead of Harambee Stars last Group A outing against Zambia on Sunday, August 17, 2025, at the mentioned facility.
The continent’s football governing body has warned that failure of the Football Kenya Federation and the government to fully comply could result in more severe sanctions, including relocating future fixtures to alternative venues.
The directives follow repeated and serious security lapses during previous home games, with CAF insisting on immediate action to safeguard spectators, staff, and the integrity of the tournament.
Under the new measures, stadium capacity will be capped at 60 per cent, allowing a maximum of 27,000 tickets per match. Only electronic ticket holders will be granted entry, with thermal tickets explicitly prohibited to curb gate overruns and ticketing irregularities.
CAF has also directed the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and the Kenyan government to launch a public accountability and compliance campaign. This campaign will use media platforms to reinforce safety protocols and educate fans on the new entry requirements.
The continental football body stressed that any failure to implement these directives could trigger “more serious sanctions,” which may include relocating future home fixtures of the Harambee Stars to venues outside the country.
Anxiety had gripped Kenyan football fans after the Harambee Stars-Zambia match was missing on the Confederation of African Football official ticketing portal on Monday, August 11, 2025.
Possible sanctions against Kenya’s football governing body, the Football Kenya Federation, were predicted after a major security concern occurred on Sunday, August 10, 2025, during Kenya’s third outing in Group A of the 2024 African Nations Championship against Morocco at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
However, the ticketing exercise for the particular fixture on the CAF portal resumed later in the evening, and they sold out swiftly shortly after resumption. As of Tuesday, August 12, 2025, regular tickets were not available for purchase. Football fans were left scrambling for the remaining silver tickets.
Previous sanctions
In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, CAF fined FKF a total of Ksh2.5 million (USD 20,000) and cautioned that further breaches of its strict tournament protocols could attract harsher sanctions.
Meanwhile, CAF has expressed confidence that the swift application of these measures will protect competition integrity, ensure fan safety, and restore confidence in Kenya’s ability to host high-profile matches.