The 2024 African Nations Championship kicked off on Friday night with co-host Tanzania defeating Burkina Faso 2–0 at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam. Left-back Mohamed Hussein opened the scoring with a first-half header, and midfielder Feisal Salum, later named Man of the Match, doubled the lead after the break to give the Taifa Stars an early advantage in Group A. Attention now shifts to Nairobi, where Kenya face the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday in their tournament opener at the 48,000-seat Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani. Tickets for the match have been officially listed as sold out since Monday, but local supporters say they were unable to buy seats online. An AFP report cites allegations that the government of President William Ruto purchased large blocks of tickets to minimise the risk of anti-government chants after months of economic-driven protests. Nicholas Musonye, head of the local organising committee, attributes the shortage to what he called a “more than eager” fan base, while government allies insist tickets remain available through official channels. Police have closed several roads and boosted security around the stadium to manage expected crowds. CAF, which oversees ticketing, has not commented. Physical ticket sales opened in Kampala as Uganda prepares to host its share of fixtures, completing the East African co-hosting arrangement for this year’s tournament.