Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has introduced a new ticketing system under SAS FAM Tickets platform as a way of improving gate management to curb gate fraud.
Football fans are now able to purchase tickets online via www.famtickets.com portal.
FAM tested SAS’s online e-ticketing platform during Malawi’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against South Sudan at Bingu National Stadium (BNS) in Lilongwe on Friday, which the Flames won 2-1.
SAS also handled Airtel Top 8 matches and the CAF Champions League first-leg encounter between Mighty Wanderers and Tanzania’s Simba SC at BNS.
FAM media officer Collins Nsunza in an interview said the association had added SAS to its list of ticketing service providers to assess its suitability for future matches in terms of the system’s performance in ticket verification and revenue collection.
The association will make a comprehensive assessment of the system after evaluating the entire ticketing process, including purchases, verification, stadium entry and revenue reconciliation, according to Nsunza.
However, he said initial observation was that everything went well during the Afcon qualifier against South Sudan
Said Nsunza: “The SAS system is good and the online platform is user friendly. Scanning process is easy and secure.”
However, he added that the association needed to assess the complete process before drawing conclusions about the system’s effectiveness.
Nsunza said verification using physical tickets had so far been smooth and that revenue collection figures had provided an indication of match attendance.
He, however, clarified that ticketing systems do not directly control stadium gates, as gate management and crowd control remain the responsibility of designated match-day operations and security teams.
The coming in of SAS has left questions on the future of another e-ticketing service provider Kwenda.Co which FAM engaged a year ago.
The service provider experienced several challenges including fake tickets beating the verification system during validation.
But Nsunza said so far, “no major challenges had been experienced” with SAS FAM tickets.
He said FAM would continue to explore means of improving gate management, before settling on a suitable long-term solution.
“The objective is not simply to change providers, but to identify systems and solutions that can effectively support FAM’s long-term move towards secure, convenient and efficient ticketing,” said Nsunza.
Meanwhile, FAM marketing manager Mayamiko Kafwamba said the association was satisfied with the K52.1 million realised from the South Sudan match in relation to the turnout.
“The turnout wasn’t as good, so I would say yes, there wasn’t significant difference between the turnout and the revenue realised,” he said.
Advance standard tickets for the match were sold online at K8 000, compared with K10 000 on match day.
VIP tickets cost K20 000 in advance and K25 000 on match day.
FAM has also opened the online purchase of tickets for the Scorchers’ Olympoic Games qualifier against Zimbabwe set for October 9 at BNS.
But while appreciating the initiative, football marketing expert Kevin Moyo, who is also FDH Bank Premiership side Masters FC chief executive officer, advised FAM to invest in e-ticketing infrastructure.
He said: “E-ticketing is the way to go if we are to maximise on revenue collection. All we have to do is to invest in infrastructure when it comes to internet connectivity and high performance tickets scanners.
“Our biggest challenge at football matches is ticket scanning which is mostly done by mobile phones and a slow internet which makes it difficult to detect fake tickets.”
