FIFA World Cup: 2.2m tickets sold, 500 000 still available

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“Picture of full stadiums”

“We want to give the world a picture of full stadiums, not a picture of empty seats, and this phase is the most important stage during which we will work hard to get South Africans and international people to come to the stadiums,” FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke told the media.

Valcke was speaking at Maponya Mall in Pimville, Soweto, at the unveiling of the 2010 World Cup ticket.

The ‘yellowish' ticket comprises features such as the game of the day, date of the game, venue, ticket holder's full name, two bar codes (top and bottom), ticket price, entrance venue's entrance number, seat number and ticket category, among other details.

“This ticket cannot be duplicated and anyone who attempts such a foolish action will be in serious trouble because of our mutual agreement with government to protect FIFA's intellectual property,” Valcke stressed.

Shoprite Checkers sites

Tickets will be available from 15 April over the counter at FIFA ticketing centres and from 19 April at Shoprite Checkers sites nationwide.

The selling points will be open 9am-6pm for South Africans (category one, two, three and four) and 6pm-10pm for international residents (category one, two and three) because the fourth category is reserved for South Africans only.

From 15 April, soccer fans will be not only able to buy tickets and collect tickets already purchased through FNB branches and call centres, but also raise customer queries issues, transfer tickets and arrange for their tickets to be made available for resale.

Valcke added: “It is better if one buys a ticket and come to the stadium, but it will be sad if people who buy tickets do not come to the stadiums, while those who really want to come to the stadium do cannot buy tickets because it will be too late.”

Download the 2010 FIFA World Cup ticket sale centres and Shoprite Checkers stores where tickets will be available.

Easy to resell

This is the reason that FIFA wants to make it easy now for ticket holders to resell their tickets if the need arises in the future.

Anyone who damages his or her ticket will lose out because lost tickets will not be replaced, but any ticket with a damaged bar code could be cleared at a special site near the stadium, provided that the holder produces some ID.

Tickets for the final are sold out.

Out of the 2.2 million tickets sold so far, SA leads the way with 925 437 tickets, followed by the US with 118 945, UK (67 654), Germany (32 269), Australia (29 657) and Canada (16 001).

"Show more responsibility"

Local Organising Committee CEO Danny Jordaan said: “If you invite people to your house, you will make sure that you are there when they come. That is why we urge South Africans to show more responsibility.”

Selected FIFA ticketing centres include Maponya Mall (next to Mugg &Bean) and Laico Isle in Sandton, Johannesburg. Capetonians can go to the Spearhead (city centre), and Durbanites can buy tickets at Sun Coast Casino and Gateway Shopping Centre.

Go to www.fifa.com for more.