Harambee Stars fans cheer on their team during their 2024 CHAN match against Angola at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, on August 7, 2025.
Some young Kenyans traded nightclubs for football stadiums, flocking to Moi Sports Centre, Kasarani, and Nyayo Stadium during the African Nations Championship (Chan) season, signaling a new love for the game.
What was once a distant spectacle on television became a local passion, with young professionals and students embracing 90 minutes of continental football over traditional Friday and Saturday night outs.
For these fans, the buzz in the stadiums rivalled any night out. The chants, the flags, the back-and-forth of the game; it is a different kind of high, one that left stories to tell the next morning, but without the hangover of alcohol.
In choosing football, they are rewriting what a Nairobi Friday night can look like.
Njoki Wanderi, 24, admits she isn’t a football lover, but the Chan tournament completely changed how she spent her Friday nights.
“I don’t follow leagues religiously, but I do enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes with watching a match. What drew me to Chan was the excitement of experiencing a live game for the first time—I just wanted to feel the unique energy of being in a stadium, cheering alongside thousands of fans,” she told Nation Lifestyle.
Njoki first heard about Chan on X [Twitter], where updates about Kenya hosting the tournament filled her timeline. For her, the thought of watching the national team play at home in such a big continental competition was too good to miss. “The idea of being part of that moment felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she says.
For someone used to Friday nights out with friends, the stadium atmosphere was a revelation. “Normally, Friday nights for me are about hanging out with friends, maybe going out for drinks. But inside the stadium, the energy, the noise, the chants—it was on a whole different level. Honestly, it was more thrilling than my usual Friday routine,” she tells Nation Lifestyle.
Harambee Stars fans on their way to Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, in Nairobi August 10, 2025 ahead of their 2024 Chan match against Morocco
“Clubbing is fun,yes, but Chan had a collective spirit—you felt part of something bigger than yourself, everyone united behind one cause. And the best part? The match didn’t come with hangovers,” she says, laughing.
She even skipped a date to attend Kenya’s historic win over Morocco. “I don’t regret it. That excitement, no date could have given me that,” she adds.
Like many young fans, she also realised how affordable and inclusive football nights felt compared to clubbing. “A football night is way cheaper. Tickets were going for as little as Sh200. Compare that to a Friday night out—you spend thousands. Plus, at the stadium, you see families, couples, and young people. It feels mixed, safe, and welcoming,” she said.
The Morocco match was the highlight of the tournament. “Everyone had written off Harambee Stars, but being there and watching Kenya beat Morocco—a World Cup team—was easily the most exciting feeling I’ve had in a long time. The stadium was full to the brim, every seat taken, the chants non-stop. It was unforgettable,” she recalls.
Social media, she noted, played a big role in keeping the hype alive. “People post TikTok, Instagram videos, memes from the stadium—it makes more people want to be part of the experience,” she said.
And for her, watching Kenya play at home was deeply moving. “Hearing the national anthem live, singing along, and watching our players walk out in suits — it gives you goosebumps. It feels like being part of history,” Njoki said.
More football matches
Still, she is cautious about how long this new football-first culture among young Kenyans will last. “Chan was only here for a month. If Kenya doesn’t build on this momentum—by hosting more tournaments and investing in football culture—people will go back to clubbing like we never left. But if the excitement is maintained, I think more young people will keep choosing football nights over the club,” she says.
Harambee Stars’ Lewis Bandi (left) tussles for the ball against Madagascar’s Mika Rafafimahatana during their 2024 Chan quarter-final match at Kasarani, on August 22, 2025
Elsewhere, Joseph Okwisia, 24, didn’t think twice when he chose between a night out and a football match. “I’ll describe myself as a football person because football is my day-to-day activity. I sleep, I wake up, I play football,” he said. A sports journalist by profession, Okwisia lives and breathes the game—whether on the pitch, in the newsroom, or even on Fifa with friends.
When Kenya was announced as the host of the Chan tournament, he knew he couldn’t miss it. “I was privileged to be among the Kenyan sports journalists who attended the final draw. This was my first international tournament to cover, and I wanted to get that experience of working with the best,” he says.
For him, the stadium atmosphere beats the club scene any day. “I’m not a Friday night person. I don’t go out most of the time, but I’m a football person. When people are going clubbing, I’m coming from the stadium. The atmosphere is better—it’s just energetic seeing all these people supporting the same team, strangers celebrating together,” Okwisia said.
Did Chan make him skip plans with friends and dates to watch the games? “The first day Kenya played against Congo, I was supposed to go out, but I bailed to watch the match. Just the other day, I had to choose between a date and watching Algeria versus Nigeria at Nyayo—I ended up at Nyayo,” he says.
Part of the pull, he admits, is how affordable and safe football stadiums are compared to night clubs. “A ticket at Kasarani regular was just Sh200. We spent maybe Sh400 in total—ticket, water, njugu [groundnuts], and transport. Compare that to a night out where you’d spend between Sh5,000 and Sh10,000. And security inside the stadium was tight, you always felt safe,” he says.
The experience of being in the stands—or in his case, the media tribune—has stuck with him. “When Morocco scored against Zambia and Kenya had to respond, that feeling when we equalised, you can’t explain it. Or even seeing Uganda come back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 and qualify; that was out of this world,” he says.
More than 50 to 100 attendees
Like many fans, Okwisia hopes that the hype doesn’t end. “These are the days we prayed for, when we used to go for a match and be only 50 or 100 fans. Last month, stadiums were full. I really hope the numbers we saw also turn up for the Kenyan Premier League. Let it not just be Gor or Shabana—other clubs deserve the same,” he says.
Still, he’s realistic. “Eighty percent of Kenyans may move on after Chan, but at least 20 percent will stick around, follow up with the national team players, the league, even the women’s team. That’s the impact,” Okwisia said.
Other fans echo that sentiment, calling the tournament a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
KCA University student Ian Thuku at Nation Centre in Nairobi on July 30, 2025.
Ian Thuku, 20, a Chelsea supporter who also follows Kenya Police and Harambee Stars, calls football “something that runs in my blood.” For him, watching the national team play at Kasarani was about more than 90 minutes of action. “You couldn’t just watch it pass you by,” he says. “It was history happening right in front of your eyes. Years from now, I want to say: I was there when Kenya co-hosted Chan.”
Thuku first picked up the buzz online, scrolling through debates on X, before hearing the same excitement spill onto the radio. By the time Kenya reached the quarterfinal against Madagascar, he had already made up his mind: his Friday night was going to be in the stands, not in the clubs.
“Usually Fridays were about people going out, drinking, rehearsals here and there. But during Chan, Fridays were different. Instead of clubbing, people were screaming, chanting, and supporting the team. Clubbing will always be there — but Chan is once in a lifetime.”
Like Okwisia and Wanderi, he says the stadium offered more than entertainment. It offered belonging, safety, and memories. He remembers going with a group of close friends, joking and bantering as they watched the game unfold.
“It was 10 times better because we were with our football boys,” he says. “You see someone make a mistake, you laugh, you argue, you cheer. It becomes an unforgettable night.” He even skipped parties and birthdays in favour of matches — sometimes without regret.
And then there’s the cost. Thuku breaks it down simply: a Chan ticket for Sh250, food from home, and a walk to the stadium. “It was cheaper because I was not spending on alcohol, not calling an Uber,” he says. “You’re sober, you’re safe, and you’re surrounded by families, children, everyone. In clubs, there’s always the risk of fights, theft, and broken glasses. But in the stadium? You’re 100 per cent safe.”
For him, the tournament has proven that football can be a true alternative to nightlife if given the right platform. “Imagine if the FKF Premier League had night games,” he says. “Chan has shown it’s possible to create a new Friday vibe.”
Still, he knows the hype might not last forever. “Chan was temporary, but the feeling it has created isn’t,” Thuku says. “If Kenya builds on this — with Afcon coming next year — people will keep showing up. If not, the clubs will be waiting.”
For Brian Ouma, 20, Chan was a moment in history. He had followed Kenya’s journey to hosting rights for years; the failed bids, the stadium renovations, the whispers about poor infrastructure. When the Confederation of African Football finally confirmed Nairobi as a stage, Ouma knew he couldn’t miss it.
“What drew me to Chan was the fact that we were given this opportunity to host,” he says. “Kenya has been denied continental tournaments before, but this time it was real. It will be etched in the history books that we once held a continental assignment — football at this level, on our soil. For me, as a budding sports journalist, that was too big to pass up.”
Ouma attended his first game as an accredited journalist, but quickly realised that the real pulse wasn’t in the press box — it was in the terraces. “Sometimes there’s no thrill sitting at the media tribune,” he admits with a laugh. “I bought my own ticket and sat with the fans. The chanting, the singing, the canopy echoing at Kasarani — you don’t get that from behind a laptop.”
The Morocco game is etched deepest in his memory. “Everyone thought Harambee Stars would lose,” he recalls. “Even my friends told me I was delusional for believing we could win. But when Ryan Ogao struck that goal, the whole stadium erupted. I still can’t explain that feeling. The tension, the joy, the disbelief — you don’t forget that kind of night.”
Football fans watch Harambee Stars' vs Zambia 2024 Chan match on Tom Mboya Street in Nairobi on August 17, 2025
For Ouma, these games are more than entertainment; they are living classrooms. He talks about fan culture, security planning, and social media hashtags like #JazaStadi that turned into rallying cries. He talks about watching Kenyans walking long distances from the Safari Park to Gate 11 at Kasarani just to make it in on time. “That dedication, that passion: it’s a cultural shift,” he says. “It’s young people rewriting their Friday and weekend nights.”
And like Njoki, Ouma draws a direct comparison to nightlife. “Honestly, a Friday night match beats the thrill of a club. At the stadium, you feel true emotions: joy, tension, heartbreak, celebration, all in one night. And it’s cheaper. The stadium wins every time.”
Looking ahead, he believes the love for live football watching will last beyond Chan.
“Chan has shown young people that football can be the centerpiece of our social lives,” Ouma says. “And with Afcon 2027 coming, plus World Cup qualifiers and our clubs playing continental football, the culture will only grow. Clubbing won’t die, it’s rooted in us. But now, football is a real alternative — and for many, the better one.”
Introvert in stadium
For Ekisa Zablon, 24, Chan felt personal. “Yes, I’ll describe myself as a football person,” he says. “I’m an athlete, I love all sports.”
Like many young Kenyans, he was drawn by the rarity of the event itself. “We haven’t held a major African tournament in such a long time,” he explains. “Chan is one of the big tournaments on the continent. Watching other countries come and battle here in Kenya, seeing how much we’ve improved as a football nation — it’s the perfect way to gauge ourselves.”
The first time he heard about Chan was on the news, when Kenya was named among the bidding countries. From then on, he knew he had to be part of it. “It’s something nice to enjoy, to interact with people from other countries, to support Kenya, and to just soak it in.”
Inside the stadium, he says, the atmosphere was unmatched. “The adrenaline rush when 20,000 fans chant at once — you feel alive. A football match lasts two hours, you don’t come out tired, and it costs far less than a night of partying. It’s simpler, more inclusive, and it just feels like the right place to be.”
Ekisa remembers the DRC versus Morocco match vividly. “It was the last group game, and everything was on the line. The fans were electric, and the players fought for every ball. That was one of the most memorable nights of my life.”
For him, the choice between Chan and nightlife was obvious. “Why go clubbing when you can witness a once-in-a-lifetime event? Clubs are there every weekend. Chan won’t be back for years. Plus, it’s cheaper, safer, and honestly more fun. I even skipped my friends’ monthly bowling plan just to catch a game — and I don’t regret it.”
As an introvert, he admits the stadiums created a new space for him. “Normally, it’s hard for me to go out and interact with strangers. But with Chan, I could just show up, watch football, and feel like I belonged. It’s created a whole new kind of Friday night vibe for people like me.”
Social media had been a powerful force. “I posted from my first game, and suddenly all my friends wanted to come with me to the next one. Even strangers online — you saw them at the stadium, cheering, and you just wanted to be part of that energy. It’s contagious.”
Looking ahead, he’s optimistic. “I think this trend of young people liking football will last beyond Chan,” he says. “But it depends on our federation. They have to keep standards high — affordable tickets, organised matches, safe stadiums. If they do, then yes, this culture is here to stay.”
