The online ticket office for the 2024 African Cup of Nations (CAN) in Ivory Coast opened its doors this Saturday, November 11, and you don’t have to wait to get your tickets! In less than an hour, all the tickets in the “first batch” were already sold, leaving many Internet users empty-handed.
Demand has been so strong that the official ticketing website posted a message stating that the “first batch of CAN 2024 tickets is sold out! More batches will be available soon. Stay tuned.” It is difficult to say whether this is a desire to create excitement or a real rush for tickets, because the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has not specified the number of tickets released on sale in this first batch. However, a source within the CAN 2024 Organizing Committee mentioned that “15% of tickets for the opening match” have been sold.
Many Internet users have shared their purchasing experience, mentioning long waiting times or refused payments. Some even paid without receiving an email confirmation. An official from the Organizing Committee tried to reassure by saying that any disputes would be resolved, as all information is recorded in their database.
For the first time, CAF has implemented a hybrid ticketing system, with nearly one and a half million tickets available, sold between 5,000 and 20,000 CFA francs. In the interest of fair coverage, 15% of tickets are being sold online, while the rest will be sold in physical points of sale from December 13, such as town halls or post offices. Therefore, no tickets will be sold at the stadium on match days.
The stadium occupancy rate is a major issue for the host country, which wishes to avoid the controversies of previous editions where many matches took place in front of almost empty stands. However, the success of the women’s champions league currently organized in Ivory Coast suggests a certain enthusiasm for CAN 2024.
In conclusion, the opening of the online ticketing for CAN 2024 in Côte d’Ivoire generated great enthusiasm, with all the tickets in the first batch sold in less than an hour. Football fans who were unable to secure their tickets will have to wait for the next batches of tickets to arrive. The challenge for the host country is to guarantee a high stadium occupancy rate, and the organizers are relying on the current success of the women’s champions league to have high expectations for the competition.