Ticket

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Johannesburg - Two men had their World Cup tickets for the game between the USA and Slovenia confiscated just before the game started at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Friday.

The men were caught allegedly selling tickets in a road leading up to the entrance of the stadium.

"We are just taking them to check if their tickets are fraudulent," said a South African Police Warrant Officer, who was part of a group of policemen who pounced on the men.

The two men, one dressed in a Mexican tracksuit top and the other in a white sweatshirt, protested heavily while they were marched to a security point.

Hard to catch sellers

A colonel at the gate, who didn't want to give his name, said police had a hard time dealing with people selling tickets to fans who were desperate to get into the games.

"We are trying to keep them away because it is illegal," he said. "But they are moving around all the time."

He said it was a definite possibility that the tickets that were being sold right in front of the gate were fake.

However, one of the two was later released, and police said he had been trying to sell free tickets his employer had given him.

Three other men were pounced on quickly when they tried to sell a reporter three tickets for R400 each.
The Category four tickets were officially priced at R140, and were barcoded.

Ticket sellers shunted

One of the tickets had the name Jonas Mashele printed on it. The others had different names.
"We won them from work," said the man who wanted to sell the ticket.

He declined to say where he worked. The other tickets, his friend said, was bought over the internet.
"You can go check them at the gate," one of them said. "We don't mind."

Police shunted them away quickly as they were also drinking alcohol in public.

None of the men allegedly selling tickets were arrested.

Tickets were widely available, at a price, before the last two games played at Ellis Park.

Tickets for the Brazil game against North Korea sold for R1000 each before kick-off, but dropped to R560 right after the game started.