Shabana vs Gor Mahia: Why Gusii Stadium Should Never Have Hosted High Profile Match
- Shabana FC's home match against Gor Mahia at the Gusii Stadium was rocked by unfortunate, chaotic scenes that left many fans injured
- The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president, Hussein Mohammed, has promised to take decisive action to ensure that such scenes aren't replicated again
- TUKO.co.ke assesses what happened, why it shouldn't have happened and a painful reminder of how seven fans previously lost their lives under similar circumstances
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For a country that is still struggling to bring fans out to the stadiums and drum up support for local football, Sunday, May 4, 2025, surely eroded the gains made in recent months.
Source: Facebook
Admittedly, there has been increased support for the game locally since the new Football Kenya Federation body, led by Hussein Mohammed, took over.
From the sell-out crowds during Harambee Stars' game vs Gabon to the packed Mashemeji derby, it was a nice touch to see Kenyans fill up a stadium for something that is not a political rally or a church crusade.
The same scenes followed at Gusii Stadium in Kisii on Sunday, with fans thronging the venue as early as 7am. But as the kickoff time rapidly approached, if it wasn't clear before, it became quickly apparent that we should never compromise fans' safety for anything.
What caused the chaos between Shabana and Gor Mahia?
Shabana FC, the home team, had allocated seven of the 10 stands at Gusii Stadium to their fans, while three had been given to the visiting side.
Gor Mahia, which is undoubtedly the most followed club on the land, quickly filled their stands and by 11 am thereabout, there was no more space. The fans forced their way into the stands meant for Shabana, and this is where hell broke loose.
Several fans, many of them women, were injured, as police engaged the fans in running battles. Gusii Stadium turf, which was meant to host the two Kenya Premier League sides, temporarily turned into a warzone as police struggled to maintain the situation.
The game, which had been given a 2pm kickoff, was delayed by 42 minutes, but the atmosphere was still tense. Centre referee Israel Mpaima had a tough time trying to keep all the emotions in check, but after Sylvester Owino scored in the 80th minute, another round of confrontation started, which led to a lengthy stoppage.
Fans later clashed outside the stadium, with police forced to use tear gas to quell the tension.
When football fans died at Nyayo Stadium
Luckily, according to a FKF statement, no life was lost in the melee, but 15 years ago, some seven fans weren't as lucky.
On October 23, 2010, seven fans lost their lives during a stampede at Nyayo Stadium before the Mashemeji Derby. Fans forced their way into the stadium, leading to one of the entry points crashing. Al Jazeera reported then that 30 people were hurt, 14 of them critically.
Last year, over 50 people lost their lives in Guinea after clashes between rival clubs broke out during a match.
FKF president Mohamed was breathing fire on Sunday evening, promising decisive action. However, even as the inquest begins, the first question the governing body ought to ask itself is whether the Gusii Stadium was capable of hosting that match.
"FKF strongly condemns all forms of violence in our stadiums. Football must remain a sport that brings people together — not one that puts lives at risk. The safety and well-being of fans, players, and officials remains a top priority for the Federation."
Why Gusii stadium should not have hosted Shabana vs Gor Mahia
For starters, Shabana fans (and credit to them) have consistently filled up the stadium this season, even for games against lesser opposition (no disrespect), but coming up against the Green Army was always going to be a tricky test for the home team and the security personnel deployed.
The Mashemeji Derby was postponed twice this season due to the lack of a suitable stadium to host the game. Either FKF grossly underestimated the crowds the 'Nyanza Derby' would pull, or they blatantly failed to read the signs.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF), which FKF follows, classifies a game as "high risk" when there are significant concerns about safety and security that could affect players, officials, or spectators.
CAF also has elaborate rules on how such games should be handled. Top of the list is clearly marked spectator areas for both teams, which should be separated and protected by a security buffer. This was done in the buildup to the game, but the police were temporarily overwhelmed.
"The segregation of the different groups of supporters shall begin as far from the stadium as possible, to safeguard against the undesirable mixing of the various groups in the stadium approaches or turnstile areas, especially in cases of rivalry between teams' supporters," reads Article 26 of the CAF document.
How many tickets were sold during Shabana vs Gor Mahia?
Gusii stadium has a seating capacity of between 10,000 to 12,000 seats. Shabana did not reveal how many tickets they sold, only that they made over KSh 5 million in gross revenue.
Going back to the CAF document, the continental body also strictly outlines that tickets shouldn't be more than the safe capacity of the stadium.
"All tickets to be produced for a match must not be more than the maximum safe capacity of the stadium for the match. Hence, match organisers must ensure that ticket production does not exceed the stadium’s maximum safe capacity."
Was this strictly followed at the Gusii stadium?
Source: Facebook
Time to expand Gusii stadium
Kisii County government should move with speed to increase Gusii stadium's seating capacity and enhance the security protocols. As it stands, it is highly unlikely it will host another high-risk match, and this will translate into the loss of revenue.
Mashemeji Derby part two
As fans of both teams trade blame, the ball is now firmly in FKF's court to find solutions to this ticking time bomb. Unluckily for them, they have a short period as the second leg of the Mashemeji Derby is coming in thick and fast this weekend.
Football should bring people together and shouldn't be used as a breeding ground for chaos. Fans have started coming back to the stadium, they need to feel safe as they attend these games.
Quick recovery to all those who were injured on Sunday.
Gor Mahia to build stadium in Machakos
TUKO.co.ke had earlier reported that Gor Mahia will build a stadium in Machakos.
Recently appointed deputy patron Eliud Owalo announced the plans to build a 60,000-seater facility in Lukenya near Daystar University.
Owalo also disclosed that the 48-acre piece of land will host the club's office, a four-star hotel, among other facilities.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
