Fan attendance in Group B matches of the ongoing U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON U20) has been falling short of the expectations, as none of the matches have successfully filled the 30 June Stadium’s VIP section.The low attendance can partly be attributed to the fact that Egypt had a month to prepare and advertise the tournament following the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to confirm them as the host country.##NAJAVA_MECA_8909998##Egypt was picked as the host country on 27 March following the abrupt withdrawal of Ivory Coast as the tournament’s host country under unclear circumstances.Further, the move to host the Egyptian matches in Alexandria and the fact the domestic leagues were not paused could be a reason for the low turnout.Despite this, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) and CAF have been consistently putting in measures that guarantee fan security, comfort and thorough verification of tickets ( fan ID) and parking, with teams on the pitch serving entertainment in plenty.Ambassador Outa on reason Egypt beats Kenya in sporting infrastructure developmentMozzart Sport looks at some of the strict guidelines CAF has been enforcing in the tournament which is still at the group stage level.SecurityAll persons and cars accessing the 30 June Stadium are subjected to mandatory security checks at the gates, by the police in conjunction with the CAF-trained Safety and Security Officers (SSO).The sale of tickets inside the expansive stadium’s premises is prohibited meaning that fans cannot be admitted at the gate if they do not produce their passes.There has been a heavy presence of regular police, sniffer dogs, bomb squad among other security agencies outside and inside the Stadium’s premises on match days.SSO’s in conjunction with volunteers are left to man and ensure a smooth flow of activities at the stands.Rising Stars midfielder addresses team misgivings on the big stageHowever, before getting to the stands, ticket holders and accredited persons are thoroughly frisked at the entry points to the stands, with items like microphones not allowed apart for pressmen.Interestingly, a section of Kenyan fans were asked to leave their whistles at the security desk before Rising Stars played Tunisia on Sunday.Accredited press are restricted to the zones their passes can access, with the pitch side (Zone One) only reachable to authorized photojournalists.Verification of fan IDsRegular tickets at AFCON go for as cheap as 75 Egyptian pounds (Kshs.191) with VIP tickets going for 150 pounds which translates to Kshs. 382.Tickets are sold online through https://www.tazkarti.com.Tickets have security features that are thoroughly examined and scanned at the gates, in an exercise that typically does not take more than a minute.Fake ticket holders are politely turned back either at the main gate or at the entry to the stands.Non-locals are asked to provide official identification documents that are checked against the security features of the ticket.U20 AFCON Diary: Bread goes for Ksh5 with Kenyan athletes more famous in EgyptConsidering that the stadium hosts a double header, both matches are indicated on the ticket with directions to the access point.The price, time for opening the gates, date and kick off time for each match is well captured on the ticket, which bears a logo of the tournament.Broadcast RightsCAF and the host federation have been strictly in enforcing and protecting the rights of the host broadcaster and any other licensed media outlet.Despite being accredited, journalists are not allowed to record short or long video clips of zone one once the match starts.Live recording on social media, interviews and analysis on the stands is also prohibited. Volunteers and broadcast experts are always at the media centre to enforce this.However, journalists are allowed to take clips of the warm up and at half time. Taking pictures when the match is on is permitted.Training and open media sessionsThe media enjoys the freedom to cover each team’s first 15 minutes of the final training session ahead of the match.Ordinarily, the media officer in charge of each team avails the head coach or his assistant and two players for engagements with the press.Kenya U20 coach gives reason behind AFCON loss to TunisiaThe media is ushered out after the allocated time is over, allowing the team room to fine-tune tactics without the worry of being filmed secretly.With Kenya gearing up for the CHAN finals, it is clear some of these regulations will apply in Nairobi.
