The South African Football Association (SAFA) is blamed for the unavailability of match tickets for the Bafana Bafana clash versus Nigeria. Bafana is scheduled to face Nigeria on June 03 in a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying encounter but there are no match tickets on sale.
According to a football marketing and sponsorship consultant, Steward Masela narrates why it’s concerning that the tickets for Bafana’s World Cup qualifier against long-standing rivals Nigeria weren’t yet on sale, implying SAFA’s marketing team had dropped the ball.
Bafana vs Nigeria: Is SAFA to Blame for Missing Match Tickets?
The two football powerhouses, Bafana and Nigeria will face off in an eagerly awaited World Cup qualifier at a yet-to-be-confirmed SA venue on June 3.
Speaking to the Sowetan, Masela believes SAFA should have already put up tickets for sale, highlighting Bafana’s exploits at the recent AFCON in Ivory Coast. Under coach Hugo Broos, Bafana scooped a bronze medal and that success should have been used as leverage to sell the tickets for the game against the Super Eagles.
“This is a big game coming up against Nigeria. The Springboks are playing Ireland in July [in a test match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on July 6] and the tickets are already sold out [they were sold out on the same day they were put up for sale, on March 4],” Masela told Sowetan.
“People will only know in May about a June game, so how will they plan for that game? It’s bad that SAFA isn’t keeping up with the trend of selling tickets early like it’s happening with other national teams and other sporting codes. It’s really concerning that nothing is happening yet with the tickets for this game.”
SAFA Blasted for Poor Planning
In addition, the sports consultant added that the football governing body must take the blame for poor planning. Masela states that selling tickets in the eleventh hour will not help Bafana.
“People have got things that they plan to do and if you sell your tickets at the 11th hour, Bafana might not be a consideration. I think the tickets should have started selling soon after Bafana finished third at AFCON, that would’ve boosted the sales because everyone was talking about Bafana positively,” added Masela.
“Again on May 29, we’ve got elections, so the space [to market Bafana versus Nigeria] is becoming even smaller because the noise will be on elections and other things in May.”
According to the publication, SAFA head of communication Mninawa Ntloko referred all ticket-related questions to the association’s commercial and marketing manager, Errol Madlala, who in turn said Ntloko, not him, should speak on the matter.
While SAFA is yet to announce the venue and kick-off times, Bafana will also meet Zimbabwe on June 10 in another FIFA World Cup qualifier.
Related: Swallows vs Sundowns Review: The Birds Hold Fatigued Sundowns