Fans had to pay for tickets to South Africa by using electronic payment cards. Identity and nationality had to be mentioned. This system was about to deprive Algeria’s fans of going to Johannesburg to support the national squad.
National airline Air Algérie had been assigned to organise the list of fans to go to South Africa in coordination with the FAF. As it is not a touristy agency and there is no electronic payment system in Algeria, the FAF’s officials did not realise the short time they have before deadline.
This situation was about to come up with selling the tickets quota to Algerian fans living in Europe. There was also the possibility of banning the quota definitively. The FAF’s officials held talks with the World Cup’s organisers to find a satisfying solution for everyone.
According to an official at the FAF, a representative from South Africa will pay a visit to Algeria and other countries which raised the same concerns. The visit is meant to make an agreement with the touristy agency the FAF will assign.
The assigned agency would be able to make a deal with the World Cup’s organisers to book in hotels. Officials warned against trusting other people than the real organisers claiming they can provide shelters for fans. Booking in hotels in South Africa can not be done without dealing with touristy agencies in charge of transporting fans.
Thousands of Algerian people holding dual citizenship could get tickets for the national squad’s matches and other squads. They benefited from quotas of the countries where they are living.