AFCON ticket scalping network sparks public outrage as authorities initiate arrests

Moroccan judicial police have opened criminal investigations into eight people suspected of illegally reselling tickets for Africa Cup of Nations matches currently being held in Morocco, authorities said.

National police cyber-monitoring units detected a number of social media posts offering AFCON match tickets for sale through unauthorized channels. Technical analysis and field investigations led to the identification of several suspects, police said.

The suspects were arrested during coordinated security operations carried out in the cities of Rabat, Temara, Agadir, Sale, Marrakesh and Mohammedia.

Moroccan authorities have repeatedly warned against the illegal resale of tickets during major sporting events, citing concerns over fraud, public order and consumer protection.

Authorities’ response comes after many fans voiced frustration online about the ticketing situation.

The exorbitant prices of Morocco–Mali match tickets on the black market sparked widespread outrage among fans on social media, with some reaching as high as 3,500 MAD per ticket.

Tickets originally priced at 150 MAD now sell for 1,000–1,800 MAD on Facebook Marketplace, 300 MAD tickets go for around 2,500 MAD, and 500 MAD tickets for about 3,500 MAD.

This came despite all tickets for Morocco’s national team matches, including potential knockout stage fixtures in the Africa Cup of Nations, selling out on CAF’s official platform within hours of going on sale.

Scalpers did the same during Morocco’s opening match, selling Category 1 tickets for over 3,000 MAD even though the game was sold out, leaving the stadium underfilled with only around 60,000 fans in a venue that holds more than 68,000.

As a result, thousands of fans couldn’t get tickets to the match, and many seats were empty during the opening game.

Also, several fans reported on social media that they had been scammed by black market ticket resellers for the opening match.

Many were left outside the stadium in heavy rain, unable to enter as the QR codes on their tickets were invalid, despite having paid up to 2,500 MAD.

CAF has previously stressed that AFCON tickets are only available through its official platform, http://Tickets.cafonline.com , warning that any other source is fraudulent.

The Local Organizing Committee had also launched the YALLA app, which fans must use to create a Fan ID required for purchasing tickets. Each Fan ID allows the purchase of one ticket per match.