Organizers at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco have begun allowing fans to enter for free after kickoff when stadiums are not full, a Confederation of African Football (CAF) source told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The policy was evident Wednesday in Agadir, where the Group F match between Cameroon and Gabon kicked off in front of sparsely populated stands. Despite persistent rain, the crowd grew noticeably during the first half.
Officials later announced an attendance of 35,200 at the stadium, which has a capacity of more than 45,000.
Similar scenes have played out across the opening days of the tournament, at times causing confusion over attendance figures.
The crowd at Tuesday’s Group D match between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Benin at Rabat’s Al Medina Stadium – which filled up considerably as the game went on – was initially announced as 6,703 before being revised to 13,073.
The CAF source said organizers, in coordination with African football’s governing body, were opening sections about 20 minutes into matches to allow fans waiting outside to enter without paying.
Filling stadiums is a key concern for Cup of Nations organizers in Morocco, where a successful tournament is seen as an important step toward the 2030 World Cup, which the North African country will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
CAF’s official ticketing platform on Thursday showed seats available for nearly all remaining group-stage matches, with prices starting at 100 dirhams ($10.96).
The only matches listed as sellouts were host Morocco’s games against Mali on Friday and Zambia on Monday, along with Algeria’s matches against Burkina Faso on Sunday and Equatorial Guinea next Wednesday.
