The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has slapped the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and its Tanzanian counterpart with heavy fines following serious security and regulatory breaches during the ongoing 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament.
CAF’s Disciplinary Board, after reviewing reports from the tournament’s early group stage matches, found FKF guilty of violating multiple sections of both the CAF Disciplinary Code and its Safety and Security Regulations.
The breaches took place during Kenya’s opening Group A match against DR Congo at Kasarani Stadium, a game that drew massive crowds and marked a historic start for the hosts.
Among the incidents documented in the CAF Security Officer’s official report were stampedes at Gate 11, unauthorised access into restricted public security areas, and alarming footage of a motorbike weaving through the crowd.
Fans were also seen igniting fires in the stands, specifically behind Block 18, while several CAF staff and official guests were blocked from accessing the VVIP section by Kenyan State Security personnel.
Shockingly, a member of the South African President’s Close Protection Unit, who was attending the match, was among those denied entry. Even more troubling was an incident involving a Falcon Private Security officer, who reportedly assaulted a CAF commercial staff member and a sponsor representative.
As a result of these incidents, CAF fined FKF a total of Sh1.95 million. This includes Sh780,000 for the stampede and unauthorised entries, and Sh1.56 million for the physical assault on CAF personnel and guests.
Additionally, the federation received a formal warning over the ignition of fires inside the stadium, an issue that CAF says posed a significant safety threat to fans and officials alike.
In a separate decision, the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) was also found to have breached CAF’s safety and security requirements during their Group B clash with Burkina Faso. CAF noted unruly behaviour from fans in the stands that compromised stadium safety. TFF has been fined Sh1.56 million for these violations.
All fines must be paid within 60 days from the date of notification, as stipulated by CAF regulations.
