CHAN 2025: Hosts early exit will turn off home fans, warns Musonye

African Nations Championship (CHAN) local organizing chairperson Nicolas Musonye has urged football federations for the three hosting countries to make adequate preparations for their national teams to ensure they get to the tournament's latter stages to avoid a sharp drop in fan turnout.

Musonye says previous tournaments have witnessed low turnouts when the host nations are knocked out in the early stages.

“It is a very tight group, so we have discussed with FKF, Uganda and Tanzania to prepare the team well so that we don’t lose out in the group stage because that will be the end of the competition, you know Kenyans: when Harambee Stars loses, they don’t show up for matches, hence the importance of making sure the teams go to the later stages of the tournament, “said Musonye.

Musonye says that while co-hosting the tournament presents unique logistical challenges, East African countries should do their best to serve the sport’s faithful with a memorable tournament.

“When one country hosts a tournament, it’s easier to manage for these cases Stars finish second in the group; they will have to travel to Tanzania or Uganda for their next round of matches, which involves air tickets for the players and officials to and fro so it becomes very complicated,” added Musonye

The former CECAFA secretary-general urged Kenyans to rekindle their passion for football to propel the performances of Kenyan teams both locally and internationally.

“Kenya’s like small things when they lose in football. They give up so fast. Kenyans must learn that football is the biggest sport in the world, hence the need to accord it the respect that it deserves,” stated the LOC chairman.