On Dec. 22, a day after Vietnam’s 5-0 victory over Myanmar, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) began selling tickets online for the second-leg semifinal in Viet Tri Stadium in Phu Tho Province on Dec. 29. Tickets were priced at double the group-stage rate, but they were sold out within 15 minutes.
Singapore started direct ticket sales at noon local time the same day. Over six hours later, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) announced all 5,375 tickets for the first-leg semifinal at Jalan Besar Stadium on Dec. 26 had been sold.
The long lines of fans queuing outside Jalan Besar to purchase tickets had Singaporean media reminiscing about the country’s football heydays.
“In a scene reminiscent of Singapore’s football fever days – in the 1970s to 1990s, early 2000s and 2010s – snaking queues were seen around the stadium on Dec. 22, when tickets to the Asean Championship semi-final, first-leg clash between the hosts and Vietnam on Dec 26 went on sale,” wrote an article in The Straits Times.
Sheila Gustarisha and her son Qash Adam Ng were among the early birds, arriving 16 hours before ticket sales began. Many others brought folding chairs and snacks to prepare for a long night outdoors.
Qash Adam Ng (L) and his mother Sheila Gustarisha hold tickets to the ASEAN Cup semifinal between Singapore and Vietnam. Photo by FAS |
“We expected people to queue early when they announced details of the ticket sales,” Gustarisha told The Straits Times.
“So, we came extra early as we are die-hard fans and we want to support Singapore and see them win,” Adam Ng added.
Many fans expressed regret that Singapore could not play at the 55,000-capacity National Stadium, as it was booked for previously scheduled concerts. At the group stage, 12,391 fans attended Singapore’s 2-1 win against Cambodia, while 22,611 watched their 2-4 loss to Thailand.
Unlike Vietnam, Singapore only sold tickets in person and required proof of citizenship to ensure only Singaporeans are in the home fan section. Each person could buy up to four tickets, priced at SGD49 (US$46), SGD35, and SGD24.
Gustarisha and her son Adam Ng were among 10 lucky fans in the front of the queue who received four premium tickets each, gifted by midfielder Hariss Harun.
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Singapore captain Hariss Harun (R) gifts tickets of Signapore’s semifinal against Vietnam at the ASEAN Cup to the first 10 fans coming to the ticket sale on Dec. 22, 2024. Photo by FAS |
Away fans were allotted only 3% of the total tickets, in line with regulations. Due to the limited capacity of Jalan Besar Stadium, just 250 tickets, priced at SGD38, were available to Vietnamese fans. The organizers stipulated that Vietnamese fans could not sit in the home fan section and would be escorted out if found violated.
Scalpers have seized the opportunity, reselling SGD49 tickets for as much as SGD200.
The FAS cautioned fans against buying tickets from unofficial sources to avoid counterfeit tickets and being denied entry.
Singapore will host Vietnam at 9:00 p.m. on Dec. 26, or 8:00 p.m. Hanoi time.
Singapore have played four AFF Cup (now ASEAN Cup) matches at Jalan Besar and remain unbeaten, including a 0-0 draw with Vietnam in the group stage of the 2022 edition. They also defeated the Philippines 1-0 in the group stage in 2012, Thailand 3-1 in the 2012 final’s first leg, and Myanmar 3-2 in the group stage in 2022.
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