Remaining World Cup Tickets to be Sold Over the Counter

Tuesday, 27th April 2010 at 12:10pm

The 500,000 remaining tickets for the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa will go on general sale over the counter in shopping malls and supermarkets from today as football's governing body acted to ensure that all the world cup fixtures would be played in front of capacity crowds.

Fifa made the decision on Wednesday, April 14 after it was revealed that half a million tickets had yet to be sold.

Until the move was made, tickets could only be purchased online through the Fifa website or as part of a complex ballot at local banks, excluding football fans that didn't have access to the internet or to credit cards.

This arrangement prompted a lot of complaints from South Africans who felt they were being denied the chance to be a part of the first ever World Cup to be held in Africa.

John Terry

As a result, a large number of the tickets for the tournament have gone unsold and was an issue of concern for football's governing body.

Danny Jordaan, head of the 2010 World Cup Organising Committee, said that he was pleased with the move, adding that the new initiative would make tickets more accessible and much easier for people to purchase.

"We have always said that it is important that we make this World Cup more accessible to the people and with over the counter sales, we believe this measure is consistent with the needs of the fans," he said.

Tickets for all 64 matches are still available, including the World Cup final to be staged at 94,700-seat Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on July 11.

At the last count Fifa announced that 2.2 million tickets have been sold for the month-long competition which gets underway on June 11 with the opening ceremony and first match between the hosts and Mexico.

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