The Tanzanian government has refuted claims that Kenyan fans purchased all tickets for the upcoming Tanzania vs Morocco African Nations Championship (CHAN) quarter-final match to block Tanzanians from supporting their team.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, August 21, President Samia Suluhu’s administration accused Kenyans of peddling falsehoods meant to intimidate Tanzanian supporters.

Government spokesperson Gerson Musigwa added that the uproar from Kenyan fans was mainly driven by fear of Tanzania’s squad in the latest edition of East African rivalries that have kept simmering since the tournament began.

“Those siblings of ours, don’t you know them? Tomorrow’s match doesn’t even involve them, but they’ve started yapping. They’ve started talking too much,” he remarked.

“I would like to assure the Tanzanians that stories of them purchasing all the tickets for our match at the Benjamin Mkapa stadium are not true.”

“Come to the stadium and you will enter. The government has taken all the necessary measures to ensure that tomorrow, the stadium will be a conducive environment. 

“There is adequate space, and do not fear. They are yapping because they are afraid of us. They are worried about us, but as we say, when it rains, it pours,” the Tanzanian government spokesperson stated.

Tanzania will take on Morocco at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Thursday at 8 pm, a challenging fixture for the Taifa Stars against a side that finished second to Kenya in Group A.

Meanwhile, Kenya is set to play Madagascar in the quarter-finals on Friday at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

The Harambee Stars head into the clash buoyed by CAF’s decision to raise the stadium attendance limit to 38,400, up from the 27,000 fans allowed during their last group match against Zambia. This followed a successful appeal by FKF against the earlier 60 per cent capacity restriction.

Following this development, ticket sales are expected to reopen anytime from now to accommodate the extra number of fans willing to watch the game at Kasarani Stadium.

Before that, ticket sales had closed in light of being sold out, though rampant downtimes on the Mookh ticketing website had frustrated fans seeking to buy tickets.

In addition, the government has expanded Nairobi’s fan zones to 13 and boosted security at Kasarani to maintain order and ensure compliance with CAF guidelines.