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.
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.
Videos circulating online depicted fans accessing the stadium through one of the stadium’s openings after overwhelming a security gate..
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.
Notably, 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.
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