Uganda follows suit - bans vuvuzelas and whistles at CHAN 2024

Uganda national football team Uganda Cranes warming up before a match. [CAF website]

Uganda Police Force has announced enhanced security measures at Mandela National Stadium ahead of the upcoming CHAN 2024 matches scheduled for Friday, 8 August 2025.

Through a press statement, the police said their security teams had successfully managed earlier matches at the stadium and held a review meeting with representatives of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to reinforce safety protocols further.

The stadium will host two high-profile fixtures on Friday: Algeria versus South Africa at 5:00 pm, and Guinea versus hosts Uganda at 8:00 pm.

“We extend our sincere gratitude to all spectators for their cooperation and discipline during the initial games,” the statement read in part.

To maintain order and ensure the safety of all attendees, police have released a list of prohibited items within the stadium premises. 

To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone, the following items are strictly prohibited within the stadium premises:
Airhorns (vuvuzelas), whistles, glass bottles, and cans, large bags and suitcases, video cameras, tools such as hammers, flasks, smoke, canisters, and… pic.twitter.com/WvV8Wf5U6l — Uganda Police Force (@PoliceUg) August 7, 2025

They include: Airhorns (vuvuzelas), whistles, glass bottles and cans, large bags and suitcases, video cameras, tools such as hammers, flasks, smoke canisters, fireworks, and umbrellas.

Spectators have been urged to comply with these restrictions and arrive early to avoid delays at the entry points.

Police emphasized that these measures are meant to ensure a safe and enjoyable match-day experience for all.

The move comes a week after the Confederation of African Football (CAF), through Kenya's Local Organizing Committee (LOC), released a list of prohibited items for CHAN matches, listing a number of items, including drums, whistles, and vuvuzelas.