Japanese fans brave rain to watch a match against against Saudi Arabia during their AFC Asian Cup (Photo: AP)
The sight of rows of empty seats at many games has attracted particular attention in light of Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup, but ticket sales for this Asian Cup actually compare favorably to previous tournaments.
Sales to date in Qatar are at a comparatively impressive 76 percent for all the games up until the final. In 2007, only 32 percent of tickets were sold, three percent down on 2004.
Qatar’s problem has been persuading those who have bought tickets to turn up. The figures show a large discrepancy between the amount of tickets sold—on average 80 percent for group games—and the number of those people who have attended.
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