Fam strict on ticket sales

The Football Association of Malawi (Fam) has said only online tickets will be sold in advance for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against South Sudan at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe City this coming Friday.

This comes amid an influx of counterfeit tickets at the Lilongwe-based facility in recent matches.

Fam Marketing and Broadcasting Manager Mayamiko Kafwamba said the new arrangement was meant to protect supporters from buying counterfeit tickets while the association was moving to a more secure, traceable and convenient ticketing system.

“The online system provides an additional layer of control because tickets are generated through the approved platform and can be verified against the system. We are also monitoring the distribution and sale of physical tickets to ensure that only authorised outlets and personnel are involved,” he said.

However, Kafwamba said physical tickets would be sold on match day.

The official also said the association had strengthened the verification process at the stadium’s entry points, with gate personnel checking tickets before allowing access.

“On the issue of fake tickets, we have put several measures in place. One of them is controlling the period and channels through which physical tickets are available,” he said.

Last month, Fam completely shunned the pre-sale of tickets for the 2026 Airtel Top 8 final between eventual winners Ekhaya and runners-up Mighty Wanderers.

Then, Fam decided to sell entry tickets on match day except for those meant for corporate boxes.

The decision to sell the entry tickets on match day caused commotion at the gates. This resulted in several fans accessing the match venue through unchartered routes.

Meanwhile, the South Sudan National Football Team has arrived in Lilongwe ahead of tomorrow’s match, that country’s football association announced on its official Facebook page yesterday.

The two teams will face each other after five years.

Malawi last beat South Sudan 1-0 at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre City before registering a similar result in Khartoum as the Flames qualified for Afcon finals in 2021.