The celebration of African football leaves a bitter taste for some in Ivory Coast. Whether locals or foreigners, including those from Cameroon who came to follow the Afcon 2023, issues related to entry tickets are causing significant difficulties. Before the Cameroon-Guinea match, many Cameroonians express their frustration.
As we mentioned since this Sunday, Ivory Coast has been shaken by a ticket trafficking scandal since the beginning of Afcon 2023. Since the start of this 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, stadiums have struggled to fill up. While several matches were announced as sold out, including the opening match, the reality is quite different. In a stadium with a capacity of 60 thousand people, only 38 thousand were present. This Sunday, the situation was even more bitter. As voices were already rising to call for a wake-up from the organizing committee (COCAN) responsible for the Afcon, Cameroonians did not hesitate to express their anger this Monday before Cameroon-Guinea Conakry.
Supporters’ anger
Indeed, many supporters of the Indomitable Lions, who arrived in large numbers to support their teams, struggled to find entry tickets at the official points of sale. The match announced as sold out was unfortunately far from reality. The reason for this confusion is the bulk purchase of tickets by individuals who then resell them at exorbitant prices. According to several reports, tickets priced at 2000 CFA francs are resold for 20,000 CFA francs or more, and the same goes for others. Given the situation, many Cameroonians expressed their distress.
“The ticket problem persists, with an absence in the places approved by COCAN and CAF. Contrary to CAF’s clear instructions after the issue during the opening match, where Ivorian supporters had difficulties obtaining tickets, the situation has not improved. Tickets are strangely available mainly from informal resellers. Cameroonian supporters are now facing this problematic situation, but the media’s silence on these issues has persisted since the start of the competition,” said a Cameroonian social media account.
COCAN’s reaction
The anger is much more acute given the rivalry between Ivory Coast and Cameroon. Criticized for their organization of Afcon 2021, especially by CAF President Patrice Motsepe, Cameroonians feel they are being unfairly targeted. “There is a feeling of double standards, especially remembering the time when foreign media closely examined all incidents related to Afcon in Cameroon,” reads a post on the X Den (Twitter) page.
Apparently, the outcry is effective, as several public figures raise their voices to have the situation resolved as soon as possible. Following these reactions, COCAN announces the multiplication of physical sales points. If Idriss Diallo, the president of FIF, already reacted to the ticket issue after Ivory Coast-Guinea Bissau, a statement was released. “The organizing committee of the Africa Cup of Nations (COCAN) 2023 wishes to reassure the population about the measures taken to ensure easy access to the competition’s ticketing. In the context of major sporting events, the number of tickets put on sale corresponds to the exploitable capacity of the stadiums…,” COCAN responds.
“Tickets are put back on sale”
“To ensure the representation of the participating countries in Afcon 2023 during the various matches, CAF and COCAN allocate 5% of the total capacity of the stadiums to the supporters of the competing teams. These tickets are put back on sale in case of unsold tickets. This initiative aims to ensure that the available seats are made available to the public to give supporters the opportunity to obtain tickets…”
“In the event of reservation cancellations, the available tickets are immediately put back on sale and made available to the public. Aware of the high demand on the online ticketing platform and the difficulties it could pose, CAF and COCAN actively encourage people to go to physical sales points to acquire their tickets,” the message states, among other things.
In any case, there needs to be a rapid awareness and appropriate solutions to avoid spoiling what should be the celebration of Afcon 2023.
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