FIFA has told the South African organisers of the 2010 World Cup to increase ticket sales to locals, after discovering that 80 per cent of applications for tickets have come from outside the country.
UK newspaper The Guardian reported the South African organising committee chairman Danny Jordaan as saying, "It is disappointing. If the random draw for phase one tickets was to take place now, 750,000 tickets would go overseas and 500 would be left for South Africa. I urge all South Africans to buy tickets now." There are set to be 3 million tickets for the World Cup sold in total.
The Guardian reports that the South African government has backed Fifa's warning to the organisers that it would face accusations that it is only interested in attracting rich foreign fans. South African government spokesman Thabo Maseko said the government would work with the local organisers to review their local marketing strategies. "Not enough money has been set aside to market these tournaments to South Africans," he said.
