Pretoria - The 2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw on Friday is set to kick-start a global rush for tickets as fans will by Saturday know the tournament's line-up.
"It's traditionally by far the most important sales phase," said Horst Schmidt, the chairman of the ticketing subcommittee, about the third phase of ticket sales, which kicks off on Saturday.
"The good news for all football fans wanting to experience this special event are that about one million tickets for all 64 matches and categories will become available in the third sales phase, including a limited number for the opening match and the final." he said.
Applications for tickets to Africa's first FIFA World Cup can be made via www.fifa.com/2010.
Tickets can be bought online on www.fifa.com/2010.
South African residents can also apply for tickets at FNB branches countrywide.
Fans have 49 days (until 22 January) to apply for individual match tickets or Team-Specific Series.
If there are over-subscribed matches or categories, or over-subscribed ticket products or categories, there will be an electronic random selection draw on 1 February to identify the successful applicants.
2010 Local Organising Committee (LOC) chief executive officer Danny Jordaan said they are confident that the preparations for the tournament are going extremely well.
"We encourage fans in South Africa and around the world to grab this chance to get tickets for what will be an unforgettable event," he said.
So far, 90 percent (674 403) of available tickets have been sold. Of those tickets, 53.6 percent (361 582) have been purchased by South Africans.
Outside SA, the United States has bought 84,103 tickets, followed by the UK (48 388), Germany (25 112), Australia (17 876), Canada (11 662), Switzerland (11 045), Japan (10 558) and Brazil (8 006).
There are two types of products available: individual match tickets for a specific match as well as Team-Specific Ticket Series (TST) to follow the national team of the customer's choice.
Applicants can apply for a maximum of four tickets per match and for a maximum of seven matches. The maximum number of TST's that each applicant can apply for is only four.
The prices for group matches range from $20 to $160 (opening match: $70 -$450; final: $150 -$900) or R140 to R1 120 (opening match R490 -R3 150; final: R1 050 -R6 300.
Category 4 tickets, the most affordable, have been exclusively set aside for South Africans.
All 32 participating member associations will be allocated 12 per cent of all purchasable tickets in the stadiums where their three group games will be played.
These tickets will be available through individual websites operated by the 32 participating member associations.
Football fans can also purchase authorised travel packages through participating tour operators appointed by FIFA through MATCH Event Services Pty Limited.
