2010 Needs Local Ticket Sales Boost
The organising committee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup have been ordered by the world football governing body to increase ticket sales to locals in South Africa.
The warning from FIFA came as local organisers admitted that 80% of applications for the 3m tickets available in the first round have come from outside the country following accusations that they are only interested in attracting rich foreign football fans.
Commented organising committee chairman Danny Jordaan: ‘It is disappointing. If the random draw for phase one tickets was to take place now, 750,000 tickets would go overseas and 500 would be left for South Africa. I urge all South Africans to buy tickets now.’
The ticket application process is in five phases – the first of which ends on 31st March.
Each application phase culminates in a lottery, after which tickets are allocated. The system is further complicated by a two-tier pricing system, favouring South African fans.
The South African cabinet last week backed FIFA’s warning, amid reports of poor ticket sales for the Confederations Cup in three months’ time. Only 170,000 out of 640,000 tickets have been sold for the Cup, which is South Africa’s warm-up for 2010.
