Clayton Barnes
16 February 2009
Tickets for the much-anticipated 2010 Fifa World Cup go on sale this week - and South Africans have been warned to move fast to avoid disappointment.
An estimated three million tickets are expected to be made available globally from Friday; 15 percent will go on sale exclusively to South African citizens.
But Local Organising Committee (LOC) chief executive Danny Jordaan has urged South Africans not to wait until the last minute to purchase tickets.
He said South Africans should "rush out and get their tickets" from this weekend to avoid disappointment.
"We would like to see the stadiums full of South Africans during the World Cup," said Jordaan.
"People should be mindful that they won't be able to buy a match ticket on the morning of the game or at the gate.
"South Africans have to buy their tickets early."
Millions of soccer-mad spectators across the world will be scrambling for World Cup tickets from the end of the week.
Prices range from $20 (R140) for category 4 tickets, which are exclusively available to South Africans, to $900 (R6 300) for a category 1 ticket for the final.
In 2006, the cheapest ticket cost 35 euros (R357).
Those who wish to buy tickets can apply on the Fifa website at www.fifa.com or at any First National Bank branch.
Fifa is expected to launch its World Cup ticketing strategy in Johannesburg on Wednesday, two days ahead of ticket sales opening.
Meanwhile, host city mayors and mayoral committee members will know later this year whether they will have to fork out their own money for World Cup match tickets.
The head of the 2010 LOC's legal and ticketing department, Leslie Sedibe, said a final decision on the matter was pending and an announcement would be made by the board later this year.
He said there were a number of relevant policy issues attached to the matter, but confirmed that ticketing for host city delegates would be discussed "as we move closer to the event".
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