South Africa is engaged in a race against time to avoid the spectre of empty stadiums next June, as international fans turn their backs on the richest World Cup in history. Moves in the past few days by the local organisers and by football's governing body, FIFA, suggest the third round of ticket sales, launched on 5 December, will not prevent the World Cup from becoming a financial fiasco for South Africa. While FIFA has already made a record 2.1 billion Euros from the sale of sponsorship and television rights, the problem lies in low international take-up of premium tickets and apparent apathy among South Africans.
South Africa is engaged in a race against time to avoid the spectre of empty stadiums next June, as international fans turn their backs on the richest World Cup in history.
Moves in the past few days by the local organisers and by football's governing body, FIFA, suggest the third round of ticket sales, launched on 5 December, will not prevent the World Cup from becoming a financial fiasco for South Africa.
While FIFA has already made a record 2.1 billion Euros from the sale of sponsorship and television rights, the problem lies in low international take-up of premium tickets and apparent apathy among South Africans.
and it's an expensive long way away. And we're in a recession. keep to the Fen Causeway
