AFCON Final: Scarcity, Price Hike Of Tickets Frustrate Nigerian Fans In Abidjan

Football fans, especially Nigerians, have been left frustrated over the scarcity and the soaring price of match tickets for the highly anticipated 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final between the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire slated for Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan on Sunday.

The demand for tickets has surged in anticipation of the historic final clash, but many fans have been left empty-handed as tickets become increasingly scarce.

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Fans are expected to buy the tickets online from the CAF website and other platforms, but many Nigerians who have flown into the country are struggling to have access to the tickets.

The limited availability of tickets has led to exorbitant prices in the black market, with reports indicating prices as high as $500 (N750,00) to $600 (N900,000) for a single ticket. Officially, tickets are sold for 5,000 CFA (about N11,000), 10,000 CFA (N23,000), and 15,000 CFA (N34,000). However, VIP seats are always reserved for dignitaries.

The steep rise in ticket prices has left many Nigerian fans who have travelled to Abidjan for the match feeling priced out of the opportunity to witness their beloved Super Eagles in action on the grand stage of the AFCON final.

“It is a crazy situation here, I flew into this country to watch this final but now I can’t get a ticket. I had attempted to purchase it online but I think CAF deliberately held onto the sale of the final match tickets and now hoarders seem to have hijacked the process.

“You can’t imagine somebody telling me I may have to part with $500 for just one match,” One of the frustrated fans, Obinna Nwafor.

Seidu Abubakar who claimed to fly into Abidjan from Kano State to support the Eagles said, ” I had hoped one of my friends in the Eagles would get me a ticket and I came here to support him and the team but he is also struggling to get one. I then tried to pay but now I can’t get it. It is frustrating”