What is going on with CHAN disorder and ticketing?

Crowd safety and ticketing arrangements at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) are under the spotlight after disorder at games involving co-hosts Kenya.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) has highlighted "repeated and serious security lapses" at Nairobi's Kasarani Stadium when the Harambee Stars have been in action.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) was fined $15,000 for trouble at their opening match, and further sanctions are expected to follow after more incidents at Sunday's game against Morocco.

Attendances have now been capped at the Kasarani, but supporters have called on authorities to resolve issues with the online ticketing system.

A Caf board found FKF guilty of breaching its disciplinary, safety and security regulations when Kenya faced DR Congo on 3 August.

It fined FKF for a stampede, unauthorised access to the Kasarani and an assault on Caf personnel and guests, and issued a warning about a fire being ignited inside the stadium.

Yet more problems arose when supporters then flocked to the Kasarani, officially known as the Moi International Sports Centre, to see Kenya face pre-tournament favourites Morocco.

Overcrowding was clear in several areas and Caf also flagged major security lapses, including:

Mookh Africa, CHAN's ticketing service provider in Kenya, confirmed to BBC Sport Africa that sales for upcoming fixtures at the Kasarani had been halted on Monday.

Caf has limited capacity to 60% for future Harambee Stars games and strictly limited entry to electronic ticket (e-ticket) holders only.

It also mandated the local organising committee (LOC) and Kenyan government to launch a public media campaign.

The LOC issued a statement advising fans to only buy e-tickets from the authorised online vendor, to arrive at the stadium at least five hours before kick-off and to follow security instructions.

"If you are coming to the stadium, please come with a valid ticket," FKF president Hussein Mohammed announced.

The BBC has asked the LOC and FKF for comment but is yet to hear back.

With space at the Kasarani now limited to 27,000 ticket holders by Caf, supporters were keen to secure their place at Kenya's final Group A game against Zambia on Sunday.

Ticket sales were restarted in the early hours of Tuesday and by 08:00 local time (05:00 GMT) the match was sold out.

The question now is whether genuine fans were able to secure e-tickets themselves – or whether they have been snapped up by touts.

At the Morocco game, BBC Sport Africa saw hundreds of supporters left stranded outside the stadium despite holding what appeared to be valid tickets.

Several said they had unknowingly bought duplicated tickets from individuals who purchased in bulk and resold them to multiple people.

Supporters urged authorities to address issues with the online ticketing system and crack down on fraudsters.

Meanwhile, FKF says it will set up official fan zones where those without tickets can watch in a "safe and controlled environment".

"Details of these exciting fan zones will be shared shortly as we continue to make the relevant preparations," Mohammed added.

"Let us work together to ensure that Kenya continues to host major tournaments and showcase our passion for the game in the right way."

Kenya could return to the Kasarani for a quarter-final tie if they finish top of Group A.

While FKF awaits further sanctions from Caf for incidents at the Morocco game, it is still dealing with financial and reputational damage.

The body was separately fined $5,000, with half of that sum suspended, for issues at another group game in Nairobi.

Mohammed said those penalties will set his organisation back.

"We are deeply concerned about the fines that we are receiving after every match.

"It is very saddening that we will have to look to raise resources to pay the fines that we had not planned for."

This tournament had been seen as a test run before Kenya co-hosts the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Tanzania and Uganda.

Caf had already raised security concerns before CHAN kicked off and the LOC has warned of major implications should there be further issues.

"The future of Kenyan football depends on our collective responsibility and cooperation," its statement added.

"Continued security breaches risk attracting severe sanctions that would ultimately deny Kenyan fans the chance to enjoy such events in the future."

BBC Swahili's Alfred Lasteck attended Sunday's game at the Kasarani Stadium

I arrived late but there were still crowds outside. I had an e-ticket but could see people selling ordinary tickets for 1000 Kenyan shillings ($7.70). The real price was 500 Ksh ($3.85).

I saw many young people moving with their hands up as if surrendering, but they were pushing past police and gaining entry in large numbers. At one point the police fired tear gas.

I passed through a gate with no-one there to scan my ticket. The machine was also not working.

I got into the stadium just before half-time and could not access the lower part of the stand so moved to the upper deck. Finding space was a challenge. No one could move around easily because the entrances were so crowded.

I watched the game standing in one of those entrances.