Organisers of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco have been allowing supporters to enter stadiums for free after kick-off when attendance has been low, according to a source within the Confederation of African Football.
The Group F match between Cameroon and Gabon in Agadir on Wednesday began in front of largely empty stands, but attendance increased notably during the first half despite persistent rain. The official crowd was later given as 35,200 at a stadium with a capacity of more than 45,000.
Similar patterns have been seen at several matches during the opening days of the tournament, with attendance figures sometimes revised after initial announcements.
At Tuesday’s Group D game between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Benin at Rabat’s Al Medina Stadium, the crowd grew steadily as the match progressed. The attendance was first reported as 6,703 before being updated to 13,073.
The CAF source said organisers, with the approval of the governing body, have been opening sections of stadiums around 20 minutes after kick-off to allow fans waiting outside to enter without paying.
Ensuring strong attendances is a key concern for tournament organisers in Morocco, where a successful Africa Cup of Nations is seen as an important step ahead of preparations for the 2030 World Cup, which the country will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
On Thursday, CAF’s official ticketing platform showed tickets still available for most remaining group-stage matches, with prices starting at 100 dirhams ($10.96).
The only fixtures listed as sold out were Morocco’s matches against Mali on Friday and Zambia on Monday, along with Algeria’s games against Burkina Faso on Sunday and Equatorial Guinea next Wednesday.
