Fifa mulls 'easier' 2010 tickets for locals
Chris Bathembu
18 January 2010
The 2010 Fifa World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC) confirmed this week that moves are afoot to change the way tickets are sold in South Africa in order to accommodate local fans.
Speaking to BuaNews, LOC chief executive Danny Jordaan said they had raised the matter with Fifa and that it would be discussed at the next executive meeting to be held in Zurich.
At the moment, tickets can be bought by filling in application forms at First National Bank (FNB) branches or fans can apply for tickets online.
The process has sparked an outcry from football fans, who complain that it is just too complicated to secure tickets for Africa's first world cup tournament.
Unfamiliar technology
Some soccer analysts have also pointed out that ordinary soccer supporters in South African may not be familiar with the internet and other technology used to apply for World Cup tickets.
"We are definitely in the process of changing this and as a member of the ticketing committee, I am confident that Fifa will understand our position," Jordaan said, adding that fans can expect to buy their tickets over the counter from April.
Jordaan cautioned though, that people should not wait for that time and should in the meantime use the current process to purchase their tickets: "If you wait for that time, there is danger that there will be few or no tickets at all," he said.
Around 50% of the three-million tickets made available by Fifa have been sold.
The move comes with only a week before the closing of the third ticket sales phase for the general public on 22 January.
New sales phase
Meanwhile, Fifa also announced the creation of a new sales phase between 9 February and 7 April, to ensure that fans from the qualified associations have more time and easier access to tickets to watch their teams.
The arrangement will only cater for supporters of the participating member associations and add to previously taken measures directed at South African residents.
"Only one such phase had previously been planned, starting on 5 December 2009 and closing on 13 January 2010. This sales phase will run at the same time as the fourth sales phase for the general public carried out via Fifa.com and the FNB branches (in South Africa only) and will operate on a first-come-first-served basis," said Fifa.
Source: BuaNews
