The CEO of SA's 2010 World Cup local organising committee, Danny Jordaan, has urged the country's football fans to get into the habit of buying their tickets in good time - warning that, from as early as 2008, South Africans would be "fighting" for tickets with fans from all around the world.

It is estimated that about 2.7-million tickets worth about R4.6-billion in total will be on sale for the showpiece event. According to Jordaan, the tickets will probably go on sale from 2008.

Briefing the Gauteng Legislature's sports committee on Monday, Jordaan said there was a tradition within South Africa's football fraternity of buying tickets a few hours before kick-off.

"If one wakes up on the morning of the match and decides to go and watch a game between Bafana Bafana and Brazil, for instance, they should not be surprised when they are forced to go and watch that game on television", he said.

SA's organising committee in negotiations with FIFA to ensure that tickets are affordable, Jordaan said. The cheapest ticket at the Korea/Japan World Cup in 2002 went for US$50; in Germany 2006 they will go for 28 Euros.

"It definitely will not be equal to Korea/Japan, and must be lower than Germany", Jordaan said. "We cannot have a World Cup where African fans cannot enter."

Sports committee chairperson Pule Malefane said Jordaan had highlighted areas needing immediate strategic intervention so that, when the time came, "we are not caught off guard".

These areas, he said, included the province's transport, tourism and security infrastructure. Johannesburg and Pretoria have been earmarked as key to the overall success of the tournament.

On the 13 world-class stadiums presented to FIFA in SA's bid, Jordaan said South Africa would need only 10 stadiums; FIFA requires a minimum of eight. This, he said, would cut costs for the country and avoid leaving "white elephants" after the extravaganza.

from BuaNews

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