Lessons learnt from Chan 2024 ahead of Afcon 2027 fixtures

Morocco lifted the 2024 Chan trophy last Saturday, closing a month that doubled as Kenya’s biggest test ahead of hosting the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Football has been thrilling, the passion unmistakable, and the final at Kasarani a proud moment.

In fact, the political tension that was in the air was also watered down as the nation united behind Harambee Stars both at the stadium, back home and on social media.

However, the tournament also exposed gaps Kenya must fix and fast. From infrastructure, ticketing, security and communication, Chan 2024 proved a dry run for the nation ahead of the biggest tournament yet.

The most important infrastructure Kenya must ensure is perfect is that facilities must be tournament-ready, not “almost there”.

Caf confirmed Group D was staged in Zanzibar’s New Amaan Stadium (Senegal, Congo, Sudan and Nigeria) — a decision widely linked to facility readiness and training-ground shortfalls on the Kenyan side.

That relocation diluted Kenya’s hosting footprint and should be a wake-up call: training pitches, lighting, dressing rooms, media workspaces and VAR infrastructure have to meet standards early, not in the final weeks.

Currently, the government is fast tracking the construction of the Talanta Sports Stadium, Kenya’s biggest and first stadium to be constructed in the 21st century if not the 20th.

Fifa President Gianni Infantino along with a number of Caf Executive Committee members and FKF President Hussein Mohammed, toured the Talanta Stadium. Currently under construction, the 60,000-capacity venue is due to be completed later this year.

Crowd congestion and chaotic entries at Kasarani made national headlines, another head ace for Kenya to sort before Afcon.

If thousands wanted a piece of Chan action, we should expect hundreds of thousands who will want a piece of Afcon action.

Caf publicly condemned security breaches during Kenya’s matches; with multiple fines and temporary restrictions on attendance imposed on Kenya. In fact, the African governing body even threatened to move matches away from Kasarani.

Ticketing was another pain during the championship, with specific individuals alleged to have bought thousands of tickets only to hawk them on the day of the match.

Additionally, fake online ticketing platforms emerged, as thousands were conned after being denied entry.

Accusations of opaque or malfunctioning ticket distribution also left valid ticket holders stuck outside.

Ahead of Afcon 2027, one official e-ticketing platform with named tickets, dynamic QR codes, and strict resale rules should be set up.

Additionally, Caf’s disciplinary actions and warnings followed repeated breaches: forced entries, perimeter failures and overcrowding near media and VIP zones.

Despite all that, Kenya still delivered big moments — the final in Nairobi, vibrant crowds and a regional showcase that boosted visibility and tourism.

It’s only in Kenya where stadiums were full if not half full compared with other venues.