ENTERTAINMENT
CAF slaps Kenya with $50,000 fine, threatens to strip hosting rights over stadium chaos
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has fined Kenya $50,000 for security breaches during the ongoing Confederation of African Championship, warning the country could lose its hosting rights if incidents persist.
Michael Oduor
NAIROBI, Aug 12 (Running Africa) — The sanction follows crowd trouble at Nairobi’s Kasarani Stadium on Aug. 10, when thousands of fans tried to force entry for Kenya’s match against defending champions Morocco, triggering near-stampede scenes. CAF said repeated failures to meet safety requirements could see Kenya’s home fixtures moved elsewhere.
Spectators reportedly rushed the gates after ticket scanners rejected several valid tickets, overwhelming security personnel.
CAF had already fined the Football Kenya Federation $17,000 earlier this month over violence and poor crowd control during matches against DR Congo and Angola, which saw assaults on officials, tear gas and flash grenades deployed, and live ammunition fired.
The governing body has ordered fan zones to ease stadium congestion and cut capacity for Kenya’s Aug. 15 clash with Zambia from 48,000 to 27,000. The warning also applies to Kenya’s role as co-host of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Sports Minister Salim Mvurya said Kenya had assured CAF it would meet “all international safety standards.”
