e-ticket response excites Zifa

THE Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) is pleased with the response they are getting from the Warriors fans having sold over 900 tickets on the first day they went on sale.

Having endured years in which chaos had blighted every game for the Warriors, with thousands of fans always finding themselves trapped outside the gates, Zifa chose to adopt modern trends of selling tickets online in advance — e-ticket through their partners Click and Pay.  

And ahead of the important tie against Congo next month, Zifa has already put the tickets on sale with fans having to pay as much as $200 for the VVIP ticket.

The VVIP ticket rose four-fold from the previous price of $50 when Zimbabwe hosted Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the last home match in October last year.

Entrance fees to the bays 15-18 also rose from $10 to $50, while the cheapest ticket for the rest of the ground will be $10.

While the prices for the match appears exorbitant Zifa president Felton Kamambo said the response from fans has been awesome while urging others not to be obsessed with the price but rather take it as an opportunity to play a role in helping their national team.

"There was always chaos in as far as our national team matches were concerned so we felt we needed to improve on that so that all the tickets are bought in advance," Kamambo said.

"Besides that, we felt there is need for an improvement with regards to the flow of fans when getting into the stadium. We are geared for the match because it's really an important match for us.

"We definitely want to be in Cairo for the Afcon and we want everyone to attend the match without any challenges."

Kamambo continued: "I don't think our fans need to look at the price as exorbitant but rather as some form of support to their national team. I think the supporters should be looking at it that way.

"They need to support our Warriors. We know the prices seem higher but you are also aware of the current environment which is prevailing.

"We want to make sure that our Warriors are well looked after when they come here for this match. We want to go to Afcon not to add numbers but to also qualify for the knockout stages.

"Our coaches have promised us that we will get to the knockout stages.

"So the preparations start now. Whatever we are going to do now will have a bearing to the matches to follow in the near future at Afcon."

The e-ticket function will assist Zifa in managing numbers and ensure the movement of fans is swift and uncomplicated. The association also revealed that no tickets will be sold at the gates while also urging fans to come early as the gates will be closed at 13:30.