Zambia should prepare for an unfriendly welcome as they host Harambee Stars in the highly anticipated CHAN 2024 Group A match at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani on Sunday, August 17.

The game will be witnessed by a reduced but fervent crowd of 27,000 spectators, after all tickets available were sold within six hours of their going on sale.

The tickets went on sale on Tuesday at 1:00 AM EAT on Mooh Tickets, the official agent, and by 7:00 AM there were no more seats to sell.

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Demand was strong, fueled by Kenya’s unbeaten record and the incentive of a quarterfinal position with a win against Zambia. Viewers slept in late or woke up early to secure their spot, with lines on the Internet forming as soon as the portal opened.

This mad scramble for seats was following a Confederation of African Football (CAF) rule restricting the capacity of the stadium to 60%, cutting the number of seats available from the entire 48,053 capacity of the Kasarani Stadium to just 27,000.

The ruling followed constant security breaches in previous Harambee Stars matches, where the doors were invaded and stewards swamped by ticketless supporters, prompting CAF to institute stricter controls.

In addition to the reduced capacity, CAF went on to stipulate that tickets must be sold in electronic format only, disallowing thermal paper tickets.

The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and the government of Kenya launched a campaign of public awareness to remind fans of security protocols and admission procedures in a quest to ensure that previous chaos is not witnessed again.

The Kenya–Zambia clash will be the first big test of these new boundaries, with the atmosphere bound to be even more tense as fewer spectators will be attending.

Organizers are optimistic that a concentrated, well-organized fan base can still provide the intimidating atmosphere Kenya needs to extend their unbeaten sequence.

General admission prices stand at KSh 200, while VIP (Silver) seats sell for KSh 500, both selling out in record numbers.

Home form in Kenya has been solid at Kasarani. Their CHAN 2024 opening match witnessed them defeat DR Congo 1–0 in front of an 88% full stadium.

They followed it up with a gritty 1–1 draw against Angola while playing a man down, and their most recent match was them shocking two-time winners Morocco 1–0, playing a man down once again.

But that triumph over Morocco was marred by gross security lapses as ticketless fans surged through stadium gates — a fiasco likely to have resulted in CAF’s action.

Sunday’s stakes cannot be any greater. Kenya would not only go atop Group A with a victory but also President William Ruto would be awarded KSh 2.5 million as a bonus.

For Zambia, already pushed to the limit to deliver, the litmus test will be surviving a Kenyan side that thrives on home crowds, even if they admit fewer spectators.

For supporters who cannot attend, the match will be broadcast live on KBC Channel One.

Alternatively, football supporters can still buy VIP tickets to the DR Congo vs Morocco match at Nyayo Stadium on the same day, a match which is also likely to yield its own fireworks.