Low World Cup Ticket Sales In Africa

By Fred Vubem Toh/Cameroon Tribune/All Africa




Despite being cheaper than in previous World Cup finals, tickets are still beyond the means of many poor Africans.

Though the 2010 World Cup in South Africa was said to be an African festival, many African fans will not be part of the football fiesta owing to the high cost of tickets and the absence of direct flights to South Africa. Despite 2010 seats being cheaper than in previous World Cup finals, they are still beyond the means of many poor people. There is a disappointment with sales across Africa, where the expense of travel is likely to be a factor for fans of Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Nigeria.

As a result, with 3.2m tickets up for grabs worldwide, the top-buying country outside South Africa is neighbouring Botswana, where only about 1,700 tickets have been bought. Sales in football-mad countries like Nigeria run into only a few hundred. "The ticket sales on the continent are not what we expected," said local organising committee CEO, Danny Jordaan.

With ticket sales flagging worldwide, a maximum of just 200,000 foreign visitors against the initial estimate of 500,000 are expected in South Africa during the month-long tournament. Ticket sales outside South Africa have been led by the United States with some 110.000 applications, followed by the UK's 41,529 and Australia's 15,523. Mexico was fourth, news Jordaan described as "unexpected."

To fill stadiums, ticket kiosks have been opened in South Africa and tens of thousands of tickets have recently been made available to local fans at the exceptionally low price of 20 dollars. But fans in the rest of Africa are still expected to pay the international price of 80 dollars.

Jay-Jay says Bafana will Shine

By MOZOLA MOLEFE/TIMES LIVE

Jay-Jay Okocha is backing at least one of the six African countries at the World Cup to reach the semifinals in July.

The former captain of Nigeria said yesterday that the African teams would be especially inspired at this year's World Cup because it was in their own backyard.

Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Algeria, and South Africa all have difficult groups in the first round, especially Bafana, who are joined in Group A with France, Uruguay and Mexico.

But even the hosts, lowest-ranked of all the African teams, are given a chance of going beyond the first round.

"I saw them [Bafana] during the Confederations Cup last year and after that I was confident that they would do well in this year's tournament. They also have the added factor of having a Brazilian coach," said Okocha.

He said the World Cup in South Africa would be a huge opportunity for African countries to "re-write our football history".

"Based on the current form of some of the teams, a semifinal finish should not be impossible. Let's face it, our football is suffering. But, we can achieve this," he said.

He singled out Ivory Coast as favourites to take that semifinal spot despite their poor performance in the African Cup of Nations.

"It is typical that when one country is given so much attention they tend to be a disappointment because of the pressure on them," he said of the Ivorians' Nations Cup performance.

The Didier Drogba-led Ivory Coast will face Brazil, Portugal and North Korea in the group stages in June.

On Nigeria's chances at the World Cup, Okocha said the appointment of coach Lars Lagerback last month had brought optimism.

"We needed help," he said. "He was the favourite when interviews were conducted earlier on and now it is his job to get the top players to do the job for the country."

He said the Super Eagles were not under pressure ahead of the World Cup, but felt they had already been written off as a surprise package in the tournament.

2010 FIFA WORLD CUP POWER RANKINGS - TOP AFRICAN TEAM

CC•Ghana +300
•Cameroon +450
•Nigeria +500
•South Africa +900
•Algeria +2000


Top three Faves: Ivory Coast, Ghana and Cameroon

The Ivorian Elephants are the hot favourites of the African nations and are tipped to have the best World Cup campaign of the lot. They were nigh indomitable in their qualifying campaign and stomped the competition something good. High hopes precede them indeed and with Didier Drogba fortifying their ranks it is hard to imagine they would not advance (at least) to the R16. They expect a better result, natch.

Ivory Coast were dealt a tough draw so reaching the last 16 is not going to be a cakewalk. With Brazil and Portugal in their midst in Group G, and the favourites to secure the two spots up for grabs, Ivory Coast understandably come in as the dark horse nation.

Ghana Black Stars are listed second after Ivory Coast in the Top African Team market, trading at +300. Ghana aim to improve on their last outing at the World Cup finals in German – a last 16 appearance.

Ghana qualified on the heels of a strong campaign but as they fall into a rather tough Group D, which includes Germany, Australia and Serbia, they too will have their work cut out for them.

Germany are hands-down the favourites to advance into the knockout stages. Opinion is split between Ghana and Serbia as the second faves. Most surely lean towards Ghana, but Serbia are considered the dark horse in the group and the team to watch for the possible shakedown.

Cameroon Lions will be looking to replicate the heroics of their nation’s 1990 roster that competed in the World Cup in Italy and surprised all asunder by reaching the quarterfinals. Cameroon are listed third in the Top African Nation market at BetUS, carrying a price of +450 odds.

Just as the 1990 squad had a go-to guy in Roger Milla, the 2010 squad has their talisman in Samuel Eto’o. Eto’o, thrice an African Footballer of the Year Award recipient and a genuine world-class superstar, gives Cameroon’s odds value. Eto’o was the second highest top scorer in the African zone, with nine goals – three shy of Moumouni Dagano at 12 goals (Burkina Faso). At times, Eto’o seemed to singlehandedly carry Cameroon through the qualifying rounds, and they will be looking at him to be their leader in South Africa.

Cameroon fall into Group E with the Netherlands, Denmark and Japan. They are considered by and large the second favourites in this group to advance but they will have to overcome an attractive Denmark and a lethal Netherlands, both outfits that arrive in South Africa on the back of convincing qualifying campaigns.

The tipping question is whether this is finally the year when an African nation will come of age on the biggest soccer platform, scripting history unimaginable at previous World Cups as the first-ever African country to win the title. Indeed, if it were to happen it could not happen at a better moment in time or a better place than South Africa.

Naturally, there are several peripheral BetUS markets involving these nations and this very question, such as Winning Continent, which is as follows:
Europe -210 South America +185 Rest Of The World +1200