Morocco-Nigeria semi-final tickets sold at exorbitant prices on black market, leaving Nigerian fans frustrated

As the Atlas Lions reached the semi-final, tickets for the Morocco-Nigeria AFCON match were already on the black market for as much as 3,500 MAD after selling out online, leaving many Nigerian fans frustrated.

Nigerian fans say most tickets for the Morocco-Nigeria semi-final went to Moroccan supporters, “since they are the hosts, leaving them at a disadvantage.”

“As of today, tickets for the semi-final between Egypt and Senegal are still available, yet tickets for Nigeria vs Morocco are sold out. It seems that around 99.9% of these tickets were bought by Moroccan fans, putting the opposing team at a disadvantage,” said an X user identifying as a Nigerian journalist.

The X user noted that “there is no major competition in the world where tickets for the knockout stages are released before the final draw, when team qualifications are still unknown,” stressing that “normally, knockout-stage tickets are sold separately and made available only after teams progress to the next stage.”

He emphasized that “this arrangement does not favour many participating countries.”

Another Nigerian fan, named Olaghaney, shared his frustration over the ticket situation, saying he was offered a semi-final ticket for 3,500 MAD and hoped to find a cheaper one at the stadium on Wednesday.

While many blame Morocco, a Nigerian supporter stressed that he faced the same issue during the last edition in Cote d’Ivoire.

All tickets for Morocco’s matches, including potential knockout fixtures, sold out on CAF’s official platform within hours of going on sale.

Yet, even many Moroccan supporters are struggling to get semi-final tickets, which are now being sold on Facebook and the black market at exorbitant prices, with some having been scammed by resellers in previous matches.

Assabah reported that organizers distributed a large number of tickets to some fan clubs and “ultras” to create a festive atmosphere in the stands.

This comes as Moroccan supporters created a vibrant atmosphere during the Morocco-Cameroon quarter-final match, with 64,178 spectators filling the stands in Rabat and showing strong support for the host nation during the continental tournament.