Another Kenyan stadium gets CAF approval to host international matches in latest list
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Reading Time: 4min | Mon. 18.08.25. | 08:05
CAF has categorized stadiums from Category 1–4 in ascending order and based on the different types and levels of competitions.
After an initial list by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) that saw only Nyayo National Stadium receive approval, one more stadium in Kenya has received approval in the latest list.
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While Nyayo had initially received approval for Category Two matches, it has now been approved to host Category Three games together with the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.
Both Nyayo and Kasarani stadiums have natural playing surfaces, which are the most common in Africa. These surfaces are supported by average stable rainfall throughout the year.
In the latest list, which includes both category two and three, none of the approved stadiums has a hybrid playing surface. All of them are either natural or artificial.
CAF has categorized stadiums from Category One through to Four in ascending order and based on the different types and levels of competitions.
Category two approved competitions include men’s U17/U20/U23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers and the preliminary stages of both the men’s CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup.
The category also covers the men’s U17/U20/U23 AFCON final tournaments and Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) qualifiers.
Category Three, on the other hand, includes group stage and quarter-finals of both the men’s Champions League and Confederation Cup and the men’s AFCON/FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Stadiums in this category are also approved to host the men’s African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers, WAFCON final tournament, and the Women’s Champions League final stage.
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Once again, South Africa has the highest number of approved stadiums,10 for category three, with three others for category two.
Of the 10 approved stadiums in Morocco, nine are approved for Category Three with one receiving up to Category One approval.
Algeria, who have the third-highest number of approved stadiums (9), have seven of them receiving the nod for category three, with two others approved for category two.
In the end, a total of 102 stadiums have been approved; 80 for category three and 22 others for category two.
However, some 14 African nations have no single stadium approved for either category two or three. They include Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Madagascar.
Others are Lesotho, Guinea, The Gambia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Central African Republic, Benin, Namibia, Niger and São Tomé.
In East Africa, both Uganda and Tanzania have three approved stadiums, with the latter having one in Zanzibar.
Nonetheless, two of Uganda’s stadiums — St. Mary’s Stadium, Kitende and Hamz Stadium — have only been approved for category two, with only the Nelson Mandela Stadium, Namboole, approved for category three.
Tanzania, on the other hand, has the Azam Complex approved for category two while the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium and Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar received category three approval.
While CAF is yet to release the list of category four approved stadiums, both Nyayo and Kasarani are most likely to receive approval for that category.
Category four, which is the highest category, includes stadiums approved to host the men’s CHAN final tournament, like the one currently ongoing in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and the CAF Super Cup.
The other competitions in this category include the men’s AFCON final tournament, men’s CAF Champions League/Confederation Cup semi-finals/final and any other top-tier competitions as defined by CAF.
With Kenya earmarked to host the 2027 AFCON, all the three stadiums, Nyayo, Kasarani and Talanta Sports City Stadium, must receive category four approval.
Some of the requirements for category four approval include floodlights for use in evening and night matches for purposes of high-definition TV coverage.
The floodlights should be designed in a way that they can avoid glare and minimize shadows to the lowest possible level.
The floodlights are supposed to have a minimum horizontal illuminance of 1200–2000 lux and must uniformly cover the whole pitch and have an independent backup power system, all of which are currently in place at both Kasarani and Nyayo.
The generator must be able to provide the equivalent light-intensity values instantaneously and without interruption, and a different generator exclusively for LED panels if they are installed.
The stadiums must also have a minimum of four changing rooms, each with a minimum of 23 lockers, three urinals, three toilets and five bathrooms, among many other requirements.
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