The build-up to the Lesotho vs Bafana Bafana FIFA World Cup qualifier has been overshadowed by a ticket sales scandal after confusion about the venue.
Ticket chaos ahead of crucial clash
Initially, both FIFA and CAF (the Confederation of African Football) told organisers to move the match to Dr Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein. However, the Lesotho Football Association (LFA) had already sold tickets for the original venue, Free State Stadium, per Times Live reports.
With fans holding tickets that mentioned Free State Stadium, questions were raised about whether people would be left out of pocket or even denied entry.
CAF and FIFA reportedly made their first decision about the stadium based on second-hand information without inspecting the pitch themselves. After an actual inspection on Tuesday, officials cleared Free State Stadium to host both Friday’s Lesotho game and Tuesday’s Bafana fixture against Nigeria.
Free State Stadium has a capacity of 42,000, almost double Dr Molemela Stadium’s 22,000 seats, which also raised concerns about accommodating all ticket holders if the venue had been changed.
Lesotho FA communications manager Mikia Kalati admitted the venue saga had caused major challenges.
“Logistically it would have been a nightmare for us to move the game to Dr Molemela Stadium as we had sold tickets for the match to be played at Free State Stadium,” Kalati told TimesLIVE.
Kalati added that FIFA and CAF reassured the LFA the match would go ahead at Free State Stadium, but he could not confirm how many tickets had been sold. He said the expectation is that the stadium will be filled to capacity on Friday.
The South African Football Association (SAFA) also issued a statement confirming that next Tuesday’s Bafana vs Nigeria match would not be moved.
“Considering the encouraging progress observed on the pitch, both organisations [CAF and FIFA] have agreed the matches will proceed as originally scheduled at Free State Stadium,” SAFA said.
What’s at stake for Bafana Bafana
The Lesotho vs Bafana Bafana clash on Friday (kick-off 18:00 SAST) is a crucial Group C qualifier.
Bafana Bafana lead the group with 13 points from six matches. Rwanda and Benin trail on eight points each, Nigeria sits on seven, Lesotho has six, and Zimbabwe is at the bottom with four.
Victory in both the Lesotho and Nigeria fixtures would give coach Hugo Broos’ side six points, leaving them within touching distance of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2010, when South Africa hosted the tournament.
