Cape Town - Local Organising Committee Chief Executive Officer Danny Jordaan says he is confident that South Africans will buy more 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets when the third phase of sales resumes on Saturday.
"We have no doubt that South Africans will go buy tickets in numbers once the Final Draw has determined who is playing where," said Jordaan, addressing local and international media gathered in Cape Town, ahead of the 2010 Final Draw on Friday.
South African residents are already leading in ticket sales purchases, having bought more than 50 percent of the total number of tickets sold.
South African fans are mostly buying tickets to watch teams like Bafana Bafana, England and Brazil.
Jordaan said Bafana Bafana's performance during the month-long tournament would be key to sustaining enthusiasm among South African fans.
"I think it [Bafana's performance] is very important because it drives the passion of the people and when the event host drops out of the competition people virtually go home," he said.
Jordaan urged South Africans to embrace and support all the nations participating in the tournament in particular the African teams.
Some 3 000 000 tickets will be available for the tournament that begins on 11 June 2010 in nine cities around South Africa.
Fifteen percent of the total purchasable tickets have been reserved for South African residents as Category 4 group and sold exclusively in local currency.
The Local Organising Committee decided in 2008 to fix the price of a single match Category 4 ticket at US$20, with the Rand/Dollar exchange rate also fixed at R7 to protect fans from volatile exchange rates.
Some 120 000 free tickets for the World Cup will be made available to "deserving" residents to ensure that thousands of South African fans get to experience the first ever FIFA World Cup on African soil.
Construction workers, schools and other social groupings have been earmarked for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Ticket Fund, the official name for the distribution scheme. The initiative is the first of its kind in FIFA'S 80-year history.
Meanwhile, Jordaan said accommodation logistics and demands for the World Cup in 2010 will become more apparent after the Final Draw on Friday.
The draw will determine where the teams will be playing and how much accommodation will be needed to fulfill requirements for the number of fans traveling with their teams.
