What is the accommodation problem for the World Cup players?

Four years of waiting, a grand event for fans. But in South Africa, it is not difficult to find that there will be large empty stands from time to time, and it is only a good wish to be full. The World Cup in South Africa is probably the one with the least number of fans in the last two decades. What makes it hard for others to say they love you?

Tickets are not cheap.

There were thousands of empty seats in Soccer City Stadium on the opening day, which was somewhat incomprehensible. Perhaps, bombing the ticket price is also a big culprit. The cheapest ticket for the opening ceremony is $200, but on the black market in Johannesburg, it costs at least $65,438+0,000 pounds (about 8,000 rand in South Africa's local currency). Of course, you are lucky if you can get it at this price. The reporter found that a local black-hearted scalper actually offered $3,000, nearly RMB 20,000, which is tantamount to sky-high prices.

As for the group competition, according to the fare table established by FIFA, it is divided into three grades. The lowest fare is $80, located near the corner of the stadium or behind the goal; The second-class ticket is $65,438 +020, which is higher and more biased; First class ticket 160, usually next to the stadium. However, almost all the products available in the market are the highest $ 160.

For most ordinary black residents, the monthly income is about 1000 rand. Even if the South African government gives local people preferential fares, they can only buy two or three tickets a month. Go to the scene? You have to bite your teeth.

Affected by the aftermath of the financial crisis, the economies of Europe and Japan are not very prosperous, and the money bags of foreign fans are not bulging. Compared with previous years, there are many fewer foreigners coming to South Africa to watch football.

The attendance rate of popular games is not bad these days, but those relatively unpopular games are not optimistic. In the Netherlands-Denmark match, the reporter found that thousands of four-and five-year-old kindergarten children sat in the stadium to watch the game and filled the scene. Actually, it's not hard to understand. After spending a lot of money, I still can't see my favorite team. Who wants to join the fun?

Personal insecurity

Watching the ball is fun, but it's also safety first. South Africa's public security has been repeatedly criticized, and tens of thousands of people gathered in a short period of time, and the public security problem is even more worrying.

In the previous Africa Cup of Nations, the thrilling scene experienced by Togo football team is still fresh in people's memory. In fact, South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world, with 2 1000 murders and 300,000 burglaries every year. In South Africa, with a total population of just over 40 million, there are as many as 3 million illegal guns, with an average of about 50 people dying every day. The disparity between the rich and the poor and the proliferation of guns make this land a long story.

In the past, major cases in South Africa mainly occurred in remote areas or suburbs, but with the opening of the World Cup, crimes gradually penetrated into the city center. In just a few days, media reporters from all over the world have been frequently robbed by robbers. As for fans, there are even more troubles.

The security situation in South Africa has deterred many foreign fans. At Ellis Park Stadium, a European fan told reporters that according to the habit, he originally planned to take his children to watch the World Cup, but now "safety is not guaranteed, so it is more worry-free for them to sit in front of the TV". And there are too many fans who think the same way.

The traffic is not very fast.

If you have a ticket, you may not be able to get to the stadium. This is a strange phenomenon in the World Cup in South Africa.

South Africa's public transport is inherently inadequate: there is no subway in the country and the bus fare is very high. What's even more frightening is that if you really want to take a bus, you'll be lucky to wait for one every hour.

With the emergence of the black middle class, the number of private cars in South Africa has increased a lot, with one car for every six people. In sharp contrast, taxis here are hard to find, not only in small quantities, but also at high prices. Regardless of the distance, the starting price is 200 rand, and each kilometer 15.5 rand (1 rand is about 1 RMB).

Even if there is a car, it is more difficult to find a parking place around the stadium. Reports about disputes and conflicts caused by fan car parking are often seen in newspapers. To this end, the organizing Committee came up with a solution: however, during the competition, the perimeter of the stadium was completely closed, and several large fans gathered to go to the stadium by car.

After the First World War between Brazil and North Korea, the reporter had specially experienced riding this fan bus. Thousands of cars lined up before the game and thousands of cars lined up after the game, which was extremely congested. It takes more than half an hour on the road, which is inconvenient and tiring. It takes at least 2 hours from leaving to returning home or hotel.

For foreigners flooding into South Africa, it is almost impossible to move without a car. No wonder ticket sales hit a new high, but after the game started, there were many empty seats in the stadium. Lagging traffic makes many people flinch.

Inconvenient accommodation

Going out, paying attention to food, clothing, housing and transportation, how to spend the long night is of course a big problem. What's the situation in South Africa?

Different from the World Cup in Germany four years ago, South Africa was in winter when the World Cup started. Although the temperature is acceptable and sunny during the day, the low temperature in the morning and evening prevents many fans from lying on the floor around the stadium like Germany, and the local security situation in South Africa also prevents fans from sleeping in the wild. As a result, hotels and apartments have become the homes that fans have to choose, although the prices here are already ridiculously high. During the Confederations Cup last year, Durban encountered the problem of insufficient accommodation capacity. Among the nine host cities of the World Cup, the existing hotels in small and medium-sized cities like rustenburg and bloemfontein simply can't meet the needs of the huge fans and tourists.

Even in Johannesburg and Cape Town, the two largest cities in South Africa, the shortage of hotel beds is one of the most intractable problems. In South Africa, hotels around Samsung in the competition area cost $300 to $500 a day during the World Cup, and there are few small hotels and family hotels common in other countries. For security reasons, some people can only rent private apartments in white areas, but not everyone can afford these expensive high-end houses. Many foreign fans need to face the embarrassment that they can't find a hotel with money. I finally found a place to live, and how can I go to watch the game?

Wait, you want to watch the ball easily? Difficult!