FIFA appoints CAF security chief to ensure fan ban at Kenya-Tunisia clash

FIFA has appointed the security chief of the African football federation to ensure that its ban on fans at this weekend's World Cup qualifier between Kenya and Tunisia is respected, officials said.

Egyptian national Adnan El Guindy, head of security for the Confederation of African Football (CAF), will oversee a large deployment of Kenyan security forces for Saturday's Africa zone Group Five match in Nairobi, they said.

His presence is intended to bolster FIFA's punishment of Kenya for unruly behavior by a home crowd at a June match against Morocco in which one person was killed and 15 people wounded in a stampede at Nyayo National Stadium, they said.

"FIFA's main concern is that they have punished Kenya and they want the punishment to be fulfilled - that is playing in an empty stadium," Kenya Football Federation (KFF) general secretary Moni Wekesa told AFP.

"Not many people are happy that we are supposed to play in an empty stadium so some may want to force their way in," he said. "We need security to prevent that."

Wekesa, whose position at the KFF is a matter of bitter dispute within the federation, added that 100 police officers under the direct supervision of national police commissioner Major General Hussein Ali would be deployed at Nairobi's 60,000-seat Kasaran Stadium for the Tunisia match.

He said FIFA had accepted a KFF request for the number of people allowed inside the stadium to be raised from 120 to 450 and that the police would be stationed outside to make sure no more got in.

Last month, FIFA ordered Kenya to play Saturday's match against Tunisia behind closed doors as a penalty for inadequate security and mismanagement at the June 18 Morocco match that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old schoolboy and many injuries.

The stampede has been blamed on the crisis-ridden KFF's refusal to sell advance tickets in a bid to stem counterfeiting.

Although Kenyan fans may be disappointed in not being able to watch the Harambee Stars on Saturday, the match has real meaning only for Tunisia as Kenya is out of World Cup contention.

African champions Tunisia, who head the Group Five standings, need just a win against Kenya and a draw at home against north-African arch-rivals Morocco in October to qualify for their third successive World Cup finals in Germany next year.