Interesting! FIFA has cancelled about 11,000 tickets meant for Nigeria simply because Nigerians have refused to buy them. Idris Adama, Head of Marketing, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) yesterday revealed that only 400 Nigerian fans purchased match tickets by the deadline.

“It is unfortunate that our share of about 11,000 tickets was cancelled because of the refusal of our people to buy the tickets. We sent news releases and even did event in Lagos to create awareness, but people did not respond. Only 400 real fans bought the tickets as at midnight of February 7, which was the deadline. As I speak, our three group matches have sold out and what ordinary should be our share of the tickets to pick up have been allotted to fans from other parts of the world waiting for the tickets to be withdrawn from the African participating nations,” He stated.

Unfortunately, the Brazilian government has mandated its embassies worldwide to make provision of match ticket as condition for issuance of visa.

“Except you are going to Brazil for other business, you can’t get a visa without a World Cup ticket, because it is one of the conditions the Brazilian government has set for its embassies globally. You need evidence of a ticket, either physically or approved proof from FIFA that you have purchased a World Cup ticket. We will have to wait till the next balloting in April which is based on first come, first served basis.” He added.

Top Ten countries with the highest no of ticket Allocations.

* Brazil – 906,433 tickets

*USA- 125,465

*Colombia – 60,231

*Germany – 55,666

*Argentina – 53,809

*England – 51,222

*Australia – 40,446

*France – 34,971

*Chile – 32,189

*Mexico – 30,238