Harambee Stars fans locked out of watching Algeria match over Fan IDs

Harambee Stars fans celebrate at Kasarani Stadium when Kenya beat Ethiopia 3-0 in their Africa Cup of Nations Cup Group F qualifier. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

A good number of visiting fans have been locked out of watching their favourite teams in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nation (AFCON) finals in Egypt for lacking fan IDs.

Confederation of African Football (CAF) and organisers insist on fans having the ID even after purchasing a ticket something that has left most fans frustrated.

Caught up in the confusion were 50 Kenyan fans who arrived in Cairo on Saturday to cheer Harambee Stars taking on Algeria.

The fans led by Billy Arocho were categorically told by organisers that they will not be allowed to watch the match without a fan ID.

"We have not been able to register for the fan ID as the system is down. We have tickets but cannot access the stadium without the ID. This is demoralising and we urge CAF to intervene," he said.

Some fans from South Africa also found themselves in a similar situation when after purchasing tickets they were told they needed a fan ID.

Organisers of the tournament have introduced a fan ID which requires visiting fans to register themselves on a website.

Home fans did not seen to have a problem acquiring the document as the stadium was full to capacity.

The requirement may affect match attendances in fixtures not involving the home team.

It is doubtful whether the fan ID idea will work in African competitions in a continent where internet penetration remains low.

World governing body FIFA introduced the fan ID during the two previous World Cups and did not affect the attendance of matches.