An estimated one million World Cup tickets were made available on Saturday in the latest phase of sales for the 2010 finals amid fears not enough tickets were being bought by the South African hosts because of the cost. About 90 percent of the previously available tickets have been sold, but FIFA and local organisers are having to implement an aggressive marketing campaign to entice more sales to locals.
South African residents have bought just over half of the 674,403 tickets already sold in the first two phases of sales, soccer's governing body said. "What we have to do now is to keep that passion and support for the World Cup alive, not just in terms of what happens on the field but also in terms of selling tickets," South Africa 2010 chief executive officer Danny Jordaan said after Friday's draw in Cape Town.
The slower pace of sales in South Africa contrasts with the demand for the last finals in Germany, where an average of six applications were received for each available ticket. The cheapest World Cup ticket is US $20 while to attend local premier league matches costs around US $3. The tickets released on Saturday would be made available through a random ballot with international fans applying though the Internet, while locals could make applications at bank branches. Applications close on January 22. There are a total of 3.7-million tickets for the tournament with almost a third taken up by sponsors and FIFA members. There are two further phases of ticket sales in early 2010.
WORLD CUP 2010 SCHEDULE
First round:
GROUP A
Friday 11 June
Match N.1: Johannesburg/Soccer City (1400), South Africa v Mexico
Match N.2: Cape Town (1830), Uruguay v France
Wednesday 16 June
Match N.17: Pretoria (1830), South Africa v Uruguay
Thursday 17 June
Match N.18: Polokwane (1130), France v Mexico
Tuesday 22 June
Match N.34: Bloemfontein (1400), France v South Africa
Match N.33: Rustenburg (1400), Mexico v Uruguay
GROUP B
Saturday 12 June
Match N.3: Johannesburg/Ellis Park (1130), Argentina v Nigeria
Match N.4: Port Elizabeth (1400), South Korea v Greece
Thursday 17 June
Match N.19: Bloemfontein (1400), Greece v Nigeria
Match N.20: Johannesburg/Soccer City (1830), Argentina v South Korea
Tuesday 22 June
Match N.35: Durban (1830), Nigeria v South Korea
Match N.36: Polokwane (1830), Greece v Argentina
GROUP C
Saturday 12 June
Match N.5: Rustenburg (1830), England v United States
Sunday 13 June
Match N.6: Polokwane (1130), Algeria v Slovenia
Friday 18 June
Match N.22: Johannesburg/Ellis Park (1400), Slovenia v United States
Match N.23: Cape Town (1830), England v Algeria
Wednesday 23 June
Match N.38: Pretoria (1400), United States v Algeria
Match N.37: Port Elizabeth (1400), Slovenia v England
GROUP D
Sunday 13 June
Match N.7: Durban (1400), Germany v Australia
Match N.8: Pretoria (1830), Serbia v Ghana
Friday 18 June
Match N.21: Port Elizabeth (1130), Germany v Serbia
Saturday 19 June
Match N.24: Rustenburg (1130), Ghana v Australia
Wednesday 23 June
Match N.40: Nelspruit (1830), Australia v Serbia
Match N.39: Johannesburg/Soccer City (1830), Ghana v Germany
GROUP E
Monday 14 June
Match N.9: Johannesburg/Soccer City (1130), Netherlands v Denmark
Match N.10: Bloemfontein (1400), Japan v Cameroon
Saturday 19 June
Match N.25: Durban (1400), Netherlands v Japan
Match N.26: Pretoria (1830), Cameroon v Denmark
Thursday 24 June
Match N.44: Cape Town (1830), Cameroon v Netherlands
Match N.43: Rustenburg (1830), Denmark v Japan
GROUP F
Monday 14 June
Match N.11: Cape Town (1830), Italy v Paraguay
Tuesday 15 June
Match N.12: Rustenburg (1130), New Zealand v Slovakia
Sunday 20 June
Match N.27: Bloemfontein (1130), Slovakia v Paraguay
Match N.28: Nelspruit (1400), Italy v New Zealand
Thursday 24 June
Match N.42: Polokwane (1400), Paraguay v New Zealand
Match N.41: Johannesburg/Ellis Park (1400), Slovakia v Italy
GROUP G
Tuesday 15 June
Match N.13: Port Elizabeth (1400), Ivory Coast v Portugal
Match N.14: Johannesburg/Ellis Park (1830), Brazil v North Korea
Sunday 20 June
Match N.29: Johannesburg/Soccer City (1830), Brazil v Ivory Coast
Monday 21 June
Match N.30: Cape Town (1130), Portugal v North Korea
Friday 25 June
Match N.46: Nelspruit (1400), North Korea v Ivory Coast
Match N.45: Durban (1400), Portugal v Brazil
GROUP H
Wednesday 16 June
Match N.15: Nelspruit (1130), Honduras v Chile
Match N.16: Durban (1400), Spain v Switzerland
Monday 21 June
Match N.31: Port Elizabeth (1400), Chile v Switzerland
Match N.32: Johannesburg/Ellis Park (1830), Spain v Honduras
Friday 25 June
Match N.48: Bloemfontein (1830), Switzerland v Honduras
Match N.47: Pretoria (1830), Chile v Spain
Last 16:
Saturday 26 June
Match N.49: Port Elizabeth (1400), 1st Group A v 2nd Group B
Match N.50: Rustenburg (1830), 1st Group C - 2nd Group D
Sunday 27 June
Match N.51: Bloemfontein (1400), 1st Group D v 2nd Group C
Match N.52: J'burg/Soccer City (1830), 1st Group B v 2nd Group A
Monday 28 June
Match N.53: Durban (1400), 1st Group E v 2nd Group F
Match N.54: Johannesburg/Ellis Park (1830), 1st Group G v 2nd Group H
Tuesday 29 June
Match N.55: Pretoria (1400), 1st Group F v 2nd Group E
Match N.56: Cape Town (1830), 1st Group H v 2nd Group G
Quarter-finals:
Friday 2 July
Match N.57: Port Elizabeth (1400), Winner N.53 v Winner N.54
Match N.58: Johannesburg/Soccer City (1830), Winner N.49 v Winner N.50
Saturday 3 July
Match N.59: Cape Town (1400), Winner N.52 v Winner N.51
Match N.60: Johannesburg/Ellis Park (1830), Winner N.55 v Winner N.56
Semi-finals:
Tuesday 6 July
Match N.61: Cape Town (1830), Winner N.58 v Winner N.57
Wednesday 7 July
Match N.62: Durban (18h30), Winner N.59 v Winner N.60
3rd-place play-off:
Saturday 10 July
Match N.63: Port Elizabeth (1830), Loser N.61 v Loser N.62
Final:
Sunday 11 July
Match N.64: Johannesburg/Soccer City (1830), Winner N.61 v Winner N.62.
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