Thousands to be refunded amid Cup Final ticket sales chaos

More than 10,000 tickets for Saturday’s Soweto derby Nedbank Cup final between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban were overissued on Monday.

The Premier Soccer League (PSL) addressed the chaotic ticket sales, which began at 10am on Monday, at a press conference in Durban.

Scores of supporters complained they had purchased tickets online through providers Open Tickets and Computicket, but then neither received them nor got proof they would.

Others were turned away from retailers and told to buy on the internet, but Open Tickets’ online system was reportedly overwhelmed and many were unsuccessful.

Some supporters, who thought their purchases were confirmed, received messages via email or WhatsApp that there had been overselling and tickets had in fact not been sold to them.

PSL acting CEO Mato Madlala, speaking at a press conference with Stadium Management SA (SMSA) CEO Bertie Grobbelaar, said tickets for the final had been sold out. Those who paid online but did not receive tickets would be refunded.

Moses Mabhida Stadium is not overseen by SMSA, but Madlala said Grobbelaar was asked to assist in resolving the ticket chaos.

“The demand for a Soweto derby is always more than we can supply,” Madlala said.

“What we did after the ticket sales and problems we experienced because of volumes was we roped in Bertie. He has hosted matches at FNB Stadium using the same companies [Open Tickets and Computicket].

“We said to him, ‘come as an independent auditor to advise us in terms of what happened because we want the truth’. I don’t want to listen to a service provider telling me what they think they should be telling me or telling me things that will please me — I want the raw truth as it is. 

“Bertie is not representing SMSA but he’s representing me. I said he must analyse this report [on ticket sales] and tell me what is wrong or right and what we can fix.”

“The major concern was the overissuing of tickets — that was the main concern of the CEO, PSL and the [league] chair [Irvin Khoza],” said Grobbelaar.

“From the data I have obtained the approved capacity of the stadium is 49,307 seats. It’s a reduced capacity by the stadium’s management and that is the number of tickets that were issued. 

“Hospitality are 5,307 [and] complimentary tickets 3,000, which leaves 41,000 that went on sale. According to the preliminary report provided to the PSL, tickets were sold out within 90 minutes [of going on sale].

“That caused a delay, a glitch … the tickets went on sale and the system allowed more people to make payments than there is capacity for.

“Computicket stopped the platform from issuing physical tickets but the transactions still went through. At the retail outlets 4,966 tickets were sold and issued across the country.

“Digital tickets on the Open Tickets website, 2,435 [were sold]; and off the Computicket website 44,121 tickets were sold. That immediately tells you there’s an issue of overissuing of tickets.”

Grobbelaar said more than 10,000 tickets were overissued, and those purchasers would be refunded.

Moses Mabhida Stadium manager Vusi Mazibuko said there would be public viewing areas (PVAs) for those who could not get tickets.

“The city will provide two PVAs. One is at the beachfront and the other is at Albert Park.”