CHAN 2024: 7 Key Lessons for Kenya Ahead of AFCON 2027

The 2024 African Nations Championships (CHAN 2024) finally came to a close with Morocco beating Madagascar 3-2 in the final at Kasarani Stadium on Saturday.

The Atlas Lions won their third title as the curtains came down on the month-long tournament that kicked off on August 2 in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

As the dust settles on CHAN 2024, there are plenty of lessons for the host nations to take into account heading into 2027, when they will co-host that year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the Latest Sports News in Kenya from Pulse Sports

CHAN 2024 was a dress rehearsal for AFCON 2027and from the just-concluded tournament, what lessons can Kenya pick heading into the much bigger event in two years’ time?

If there was any doubt about who runs the game in Africa then it disappeared at CHAN 2024 as Kenyans, used to doing things their own way, found the going tough.

CAF was on the country’s toes from the preparations and during the tournament and ensured that all standards were met before the greenlight was given.

When Kenya tried to cut corners on the playing surface, stadia preparations or lighting, ‘Big Brother’ said no and during the tournament, errant behaviour from supporters was punished with heavy fines for the country, a reduction in stadium capacity and threats of playing home matches away.

Heading into 2027, Kenyans know who is boss when it comes to continental competitions and there will be no compromises in a much bigger tournament like AFCON.

The other issue that Kenyans will need to check on is their discipline heading into 2027 as the bahaviour of supporters during CHAN 2024 left a lot to be desired.

Impatient supporters at the gate, who would force their way in without tickets, were an eyesore, painting a negative image of the country and CAF reacted by slapping heavy fines on the country and reducing the stadium capacity.

Things like those cannot happen again in 2027 as Kenya could find itself in more problems.

However, while fans misbehaved, the problem was largely contributed by a chaotic ticketing system which kept telling fans they were ‘sold out,’ when they were not, while allegations of hoarding tickets by politicians were rife.

The truth about the ticketing mess is yet to be told but painful lessons were learned and Kenya cannot afford another mess at AFCON 2027.

Another thing that the Local Organising Committee overlooked and turned out to be key was the lack of fan zones especially for supporters who missed tickets or those who just wanted to be part of the spectacle.

It took the sanctions from CAF, which reduced the capacity at Kasarani Stadium following the security breach, for fan zones to be put up at designated places in Nairobi and the turnout displayed the hunger that exists among Kenyans for African football.

This will have to be factored in during AFCON 2027 to make the tournament memorable not just for those in the stands but those who want to have fun while watching the games.

CHAN 2024 has displayed that Kenya and the whole of East Africa can meet the standards, something that looked like it could not be achieved given the previous failures to host the tournament.

Under the watchful eye of CAF, the stadiums and training venues were upgraded to international standards, the pitches were in pristine conditions and the lighting met the required levels.

Given CHAN is a step down compared to AFCON, the quality will not just have to be maintained but improved and Kenya will be required to ensure they are on time on all requirements to avoid losing some key advantages, like hosting top matches during AFCON 2027.

Harambee Stars’ run to the quarter-finals displayed what good motivation can do as it was not just down to coach Benni McCarthy’s tactics but also the big reward scheme set out by President William Ruto.

The President’s announcement that he would gift each player Ksh1 million per every group stage win and Ksh500,000 for every draw hugely motivated Harambee Stars, who put their best foot forward, and came out top in a tough Group A and another promise of a bumper reward at AFCON 2027 will be key to pushing the team even harder.

One thing that also came to the fore during CHAN 2024 is the manner in which politicians fell over themselves to be associated with Harambee Stars while others are accused of buying tickets in bulk to dish them out to supporters to gain political milage at the expense of genuine fans who wanted to watch the matches.

Given 2027 will be an election year, politicians will want to take advantage of the tournament to gain popularity among fans but after what has been witnessed at CHAN, they will need to be kept away to avoid turning the competition into a political theater.

This will be tough but the LOC and CAF have to devise a way of ensuring politics does not get into the way of football.