Fans to pay dearly for unruly behaviour

By James Waindi

Only 36,000 fans will watch Harambee Stars’ do-or-die qualifier against the dreaded Super Eagles of Nigeria on Saturday at the 60,000-seater Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

World football governing body, Fifa, restricted the capacity to 60 per cent after crowd trouble was witnessed in Nyayo Stadium during Stars’ match against Tunisia on March 28, and Fifa has maintained its stand even for the crucial last breath encounter.

Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, Football Kenya Limited (FKL) Senior Vice Chairman Titus Kasuve (pictured) said the tickets would go on sale from today at selected areas and urged fans to buy tickets early, noting that no one would access the venue without a ticket and no tickets would be sold at the venue.

"We have to follow Fifa rules and there is nothing we can do, because our fans are the ones who instigated all these," said Kasuve.

Entry fee

The tickets, which will be handled by G4S security, can be purchased in Dagoretti, Westlands, Buru Buru, Hurlingham, Community, Muindi Mbingu Street and Witu Road at the headquarters of G4S.

Entry fee for the match has also been increased and fans will have to part with Sh200 for the upper terrace, while the lower terrace will cost Sh300, with the middle terrace going for Sh600.

Fans intending to watch the match from the VIP section will part with Sh1,000.Meanwhile, Eddy Maillet of Seychelles has been appointed the centre referee for the match.

Other officials named by Fifa on Monday to officiate are Cameroonian Evarist Menkouande and Seychelles’ Damoo Jason. The two will be assistant referees, while Jean-Claude Labrose, also of Seychelles, will be the reserve referee.

The match officials are expected in the country on Wednesday.

Kasuve exuded confidence in the team and predicted Kenya would win over Nigeria in the decider that will be played simultaneously with the Mozambique versus Tunisia qualifier in Maputo.

Kenya, who are currently bottom of Group Two, will qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola in January if they beat Nigeria here and Tunisia silence Mozambique in Maputo.

Kasuve also defended FKL’s decision to force head coach Antoine Hey into calling Auxerre striker Dennis Oliech, midfielder Jamal Mohammed and defender Edgar Ochieng’, saying they heeded the calls of Kenyans to put up the strongest team for the do-or-die encounter.

"At this level, there is no time for trial and error. We have been watching Stars’ matches and have identified the loopholes, so we would like to give every good player a chance to prove himself and probably fill the loopholes," said Kasuve.

 

 

Read all about: Kasarani sports Fifa Super Eagles Nyayo Stadium

 

 

---