JOHANNESBURG – There was confusion and uncertainty as the first phase of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) ticketing went live on Wednesday. Report by Supersport The local organising committee had gone on a nationwide bus tour the previous day to hype up interest for the 2013 event while unveiling a number of stations where the tickets would be sold.
Phase one ticket prices range between R50 and R200. Individuals purchasing Category 1 and 2 tickets before the official draw (October 26 2012) will receive up to 10% discount and those buying Category 3 will receive up to 20% discount on ticket.
But there was outcry and frustration as Super Spar outlets opened their doors on Wednesday morning. A number of supporters claimed they could not locate any Spar to purchase their tickets and the 2013 Afcon hotline proved pointless to others.
The lack of information coming from the SA Football Association (Safa) did not help the situation either. The Safa official website was more like an outdated notice board with little or no information at all about the 2013 Afcon.
Those outside the country have an option to buy online, but that will only happen after the final draw set for Durban on October 24. This phase will continue until December 20, at which stage phase 3 will kick in from December 21 right up to the tournament.
The 2013 showpiece gets underway on January 19 and will run until February 10. The matches will take place at Soccer City (Johannesburg), Moses Mabhida Stadium (Durban), Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (Nelson Mandela Bay), Mbombela Stadium (Nelspruit) and Royal Bafokeng Stadium (Rustenburg).
