‘Online tickets’ for Nepal-Bangladesh matches will still require fans to struggle'
ANFA promises efficient crowd management, but supporters must still collect ticket slips and accept randomly assigned blocks. ANFA’s competition director Sanjib Mishra (left) and spokesperson Suresh Shah address a press meet at Dasharath Stadium in Tripureshwar, Kathmandu on Thursday. Hemanta Shrestha/TKP
The All Nepal Football Association has taken a couple of steps for the ease and safety of fans arriving at Dasharath Stadium for the two friendlies between Nepal and Bangladesh on September 6 and 9.
At a press meet on the stadium premises on Thursday, ANFA officials informed that they will be selling a total of 10,000 tickets for the 15,000-capacity stadium. Previously, at a press meet on Monday, the ANFA had stated it would put only 8,000 tickets on sale.
“Of the 10,000 tickets, 1,000 will be sold for the VIP stand and the remaining 9,000 for the general stand,” Suresh Shah, ANFA spokesperson, said. “The tickets can be bought online through the Khalti by IME platform.”
But despite buying the tickets online, fans will still have to visit the ticket counter set up at the stadium premises for a physical ticket.
“It is still uncertain where the physical counter will be erected as we are coordinating with the National Sports Council,” Shah told the Post. “The fans will receive a ticket with the colour of the block where they will have to sit. It is a move to manage the crowd properly.”
There are four colours—red, yellow, green and blue—used in the stadium parapet seating. In the general stands, there are three red-coloured blocks, and two each of yellow, green and blue. The VIP stand also has the four colours on the seats across several subdivided sections.
“The ticket will have a colour and the gate number fans will have to use,” Shah said.
The Asian Football Confederation has suspended Dasharath Stadium from hosting AFC and FIFA tournaments, citing several concerns, including the lack of seat markings and insufficient entries to the seats.
“We are using multiple gates for fans to ensure an easy flow that will also help mitigate security concerns raised by the AFC,” Shah added.
Meanwhile, the fans will get to know about the block they have been allocated only after receiving the physical ticket, which is itself a hassle. The online ticketing system does not have options for the fans to select the block they want.
“We do not know much about it,” a Khalti employee told the Post. “The blocks will be allocated randomly once the fans come for physical tickets.”
ANFA’s move suggests that fans should reach the stadium at least an hour before the match kicks off at 5:45 pm to collect the ticket and find the way to the allocated block.
The tickets are priced at Rs500 for a seat in the general stand and Rs1,000 for the VIP stand.
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