There was drama at the Nyayo Stadium in the build-up to the World Cup qualifier match against Gabon on Sunday, March 23, as excited fans broke down a gate to access the stadium.
In the build-up to the game, the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) had announced that all 22,900 tickets available for the first-ever World Cup qualifier on home soil had been sold out, effectively locking out hundreds of fans of the game.
However, hours before the crucial match, hundreds of fans had flocked outside the Nyayo Stadium without tickets, harbouring hopes of gaining access to the freshly -renovated grounds.
Videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke show tens of fans accessing the stadium through one of the stadium's openings after overwhelming a security gate through their sheer numbers.
It remains unclear where security personnel were at the time of the incident, although It is suspected that they were overwhelmed by the swelling crowd outside the stadium.
Further, limited ticket-scanning zones further compounded the challenge facing the security personnel, leading to long queues and heightened frustration among the supporters who legally purchased tickets for the game.
There was a wave of excitement inside the stadium hours before the game, as hundreds of fans scrambled to settle in their seats before kickoff, slated for 4 pm Kenyan time.
To entertain themselves, excited fans resorted to song and dance, while other unscrupulous wants chanted anti-government slogans in a trend that has become prevalent in public gatherings in recent times.
With 22,900 tickets sold out, there was an expectation that at least 5000 seats of the 30,000-seater Nyayo Stadium would be unoccupied. However, with the infiltration of ticket-less of fans in the stadium, it is highly likely security protocol will be breached to accommodate all Kenyan supporters present.
Confederation of African Football (CAF) guidelines require stadium management to evaluate the venue’s maximum safe capacity while considering factors such as entry flow, crowd-holding areas, exit routes, and emergency evacuation procedures.
Key safety metrics are considered while determining the permitted number of spectators including the number of functional seats, the rate at which fans can enter the stadium per hour, and the time required to evacuate a full crowd in an emergency.
Meanwhile, the Harambee Stars must record a positive result against Gabon to have any chance of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
