All tickets for Nigeria's Africa Cup of Nations group game versus Tunisia at the Fez Stadium on Saturday have been fully booked, according to The PUNCH report, marking an unexpected turn considering worries about poor crowd numbers throughout the competition up until now.
The Nigerian team, known as the Super Eagles, is set to encounter what is anticipated to be their most challenging match during the group phase following both teams securing wins in their opening games.
Nigeria started off with a 2-1 triumph against Tanzania, as Semi Ajayi and Ademola Lookman found the net, whereas Tunisia showcased strong performance in a 3-1 win against Uganda. Having both sides tied at three points, the team winning in Fez is likely to almost guarantee their spot in the Round of 16.
Official ticket details from the CAF website indicated that all three seating classes for the game had been completely sold out, with Class 1 costing 300 Moroccan dirhams (equivalent to 47,734 NGN), Class 2 at 200 (equaling 31,822 NGN), and Class 3 at 100 (amounting to 15,911 NGN) based on present currency rates.
Initially, sales will end 24 hours prior to kickoff, allowing up to two tickets per individual according to safety and accessibility guidelines.
The full house has caused surprise considering the low attendance seen during multiple games early in the tournament.
The first match of Nigeria was held at the Fez Stadium, which has a capacity of 40,000 people, with an officially recorded audience of 11,444, whereas several other games took place in nearly empty seating areas after the lively initial encounter featuring the host nation Morocco.
An ESPN reporter named Colin Udoh brought attention to this situation on social media, raising questions about the composition of the anticipated audience and its potential effect on Nigeria.
"Ticket sales for Nigeria's match versus Tunisia have reached capacity. Might this be Tunisian supporters traveling the brief distance to back the Carthage Eagles? Or perhaps it's Moroccans who admire the Super Eagles? Does this represent a positive or negative development for Nigeria?" the experienced reporter posted on Instagram.
The Tunisian manager Sami Trabelsi has already expressed positive remarks regarding the welcome his team has gotten from Moroccan fans since their arrival in the nation.
Following their initial victory, he stated, "I'm confident the entire team is performing well and looking forward to having every player available for all our games. For us, the city has been extremely hospitable. We're really appreciative of the enthusiastic reception from Moroccan supporters. To us, every game presents challenges, and we approach each one with the necessary respect. Our aim is to keep getting better with every match as we build up our energy."
Tunisia holds a much better position compared to Tanzania according to FIFA rankings and are anticipated to offer a tougher test for Nigeria, as both sides aim to keep their progress going in a group that is gradually becoming clearer.
A fully filled stadium is now certain, making the match in Fes poised to create one of the most intense environments seen in the competition yet.
Supplied by SyndiGate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).
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