AFF Cup: Only 59,000 tickets will be sold for match against Thailand, prices unchanged

KUALA LUMPUR: Only 59,000 tickets will be sold for the first leg semi-final match of the AFF Cup 2022 between the Harimau Malaya and Thailand at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil this Saturday (Jan 7).

Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) secretary-general Noor Azman Rahman said this is because 21,000 seats have to be 'vacated' as they will be obstructed by the structure of the Jay Chou concert stage which was in the process of being installed.

He also announced that the ticket prices for the match remain the same as for the group level matches - RM30 (adults) and RM5 (children 6-12 years old) for open seats, RM50 for Premium seats and RM60 for Grandstand seats.

"This situation cannot be avoided. FAM and the Malaysia Stadium Corporation (PSM) have made every effort to find the best solution to ensure that the action of the Harimau Malaya squad throughout the AFF Cup campaign is held at the National Stadium, compared to if it is held at another stadium with a smaller capacity.

"The RM30 ticket price for open seats is the same as for the semi-final match between Malaysia and Thailand in the 2018 edition and is lower than the RM40 ticket price for the Malaysia versus Vietnam semi-final match in 2014," he said in a statement today.

The concert by Jay Chou, a renowned Taiwanese singer, is slated to take place on Jan 15 at the National Stadium.

Noor Azman added that tickets for the match will only be sold online at www.tickethotline.com.my from 3 pm on Wednesday. There will be no counter sales.

After the first leg semi-final match in Bukit Jalil, the Harimau Malaya squad will leave for Thailand for the return leg against the War Elephants at the Thammasat Stadium, Pathum Thani, located north of Bangkok, on Tuesday (Jan 10).

Meanwhile, FAM also advised supporters to be careful with purchasing tickets other than online at www.tickethotline.com.my, following the sale of fake tickets for the match against Singapore last night.

"FAM hopes that such a thing will not happen in this first semi-final match and strict action will be taken against the perpetrators," Noor Azman stressed.

Malaysia advanced to the semi-finals as Group B runners-up with nine points, after beating Singapore 4-1 yesterday. Vietnam emerged as the group champions with 10 points, while Singapore were eliminated when they finished third with seven points.

If Malaysia succeed in defeating Thailand, who have won the title six times, the Harimau Malaya will meet the winner between Vietnam and Indonesia in the two-legged final on Jan 13 and 16.

-- BERNAMA