Free Tickets to 2010 World Cup?!?!?!

Sit down before you read this ... This made my mind boggle this morning.

According to this website, whose information has been substantiated by the FIFA website, 120,000 ordinary African soccer fans will receive free tickets to all games during the tournament, including the World Cup Final itself.

WHAT???

I need to file for citizenship NOW!!

According to the website, 'World Cup 2010 tickets go on sale in early February 2009 and will be offered in a succession of "phases," designated by categories. ... Category 4 tickets will comprise 15 percent of total World Cup tickets and will be sold only to low-income residents of South Africa. The 120,000 complimentary tickets will be drawn from the Category 4 inventory, enabling unprecedented numbers of South African residents to attend the mammoth event.

The South African local organizing committee (LOC), together with groups and organizations such as FIFA and various commercial partners, will distribute the free tickets as part of a program for social initiative. "All South Africans contributed to bringing the FIFA World Cup to our country. So it is only befitting that we make tickets available to the ordinary fans at affordable prices," CEO of the LOC, Dr. Danny Jordaan, said in a statement.'

Wow. I didn't know about this. What does FIFA have to say about this?

As part of the overall ticketing operation, 120,000 category 4 tickets will be allocated to this ticket fund, which will offer them on a complimentary basis to fans in South Africa so that they can witness the world’s largest single-sport event at first hand. The ticket fund will consist of a certain number of tickets for all matches, from the opening game right up to the final.

The tickets will be distributed free of charge by FIFA, the South African LOC and FIFA Partners adidas, Coca-Cola, Emirates, Hyundai/KIA, SONY and VISA to South African residents through a special programme that will form part of a social responsibility initiative and act as a “catalyst" for sustainable change.
David Will, the chairman of the ticketing sub-committee, expressed his satisfaction with the overall ticketing strategy: “Together with the South African local organising committee, not only have we managed to provide a low-price category and a well-balanced price range but also to innovate by creating a special ticket fund. These arrangements take account of the importance of the FIFA World Cup and cater at the same time for the needs of fans in South Africa.”

Consider yourselves informed ... now who is going to help me get South African citizenship????