CHAN 2024: Kenya's tournament organising chairman responds to ticket hoarding claims
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 04.08.25. | 19:04
The claims, which quickly sparked outrage on social media, centred on fears that genuine fans were being locked out despite high demand
Kenya’s Local Organising Committee (LOC) chairman, Nicholas Musonye, has strongly denied allegations of ticket hoarding during Harambee Stars’ CHAN 2024 opener against DR Congo, insisting all tickets were sold transparently through official CAF channels.
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Speaking during an early morning appearance on NTV's Fixing the Nation show, Musonye responded to mounting concerns from fans after reports emerged that a section of politicians and prominent figures had distributed complimentary matchday tickets ahead of Kenya’s much-anticipated CHAN debut.
The claims, which quickly sparked outrage on social media, centred on fears that genuine fans were being locked out despite high demand.
“There was no ticket hoarding,” Musonye clarified. “Tickets were sold online through CAF’s official platforms, and by Saturday, 46,000 tickets had already been sold. That translates to about 90% capacity.”
The match, held at Kasarani Stadium, drew a near-capacity crowd as Kenya triumphed 1-0 over two-time CHAN champions DR Congo, marking a historic start to the tournament.
Musonye explained that under CAF safety regulations, the stadium’s capacity had been revised from 60,000 to 48,000 seats, meaning organisers had to adhere to strict crowd management protocols.
“Even when selling tickets, you cannot max out the entire stadium. We have to be conservative due to security concerns,” he said.
Addressing the uproar over last-minute ticket unavailability, Musonye placed blame on the fans’ habitual late purchasing.
“We told our people the market was open. But our fans love the last-minute rush,” he noted, urging supporters to make early purchases in future to avoid disappointment.
He dismissed suggestions that tickets were allocated unfairly or resold at inflated prices. “These notions are baseless. CAF handled the entire process.
The idea that someone could buy tickets in bulk to resell is not only untrue, it goes against the principles we’re trying to instil in our football culture.”
Musonye further urged fans to avoid unnecessary drama or spreading misinformation. “We want to change the mindset in our game. Football must be about fairness, not chaos.”
Attention now turns to Harambee Stars’ second group match against Angola on Thursday, 7 August, which is already sold out. Fans can verify ticket status via the official platform at chan.mookh.com.
A win in that match would see Kenya take a significant step toward securing a historic quarter-final berth in their debut CHAN tournament.
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