Tickets for sold-out Singapore-South Korea World Cup match going for up to 3 times the price on Carousell

SINGAPORE: Match tickets for Singapore's sold-out World Cup qualifier against South Korea on Jun 6 are being resold online for significantly higher prices, prompting the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to warn of the potential risk of buying through unauthorised channels. 

The match is expected to feature English Premier League stars Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan, with the South Koreans set to field a strong team to secure the top spot in the qualifying group. 

Tickets went on sale on May 2 and were sold out by May 26.

Prices on FAS' official ticketing channel ranged from S$10 (US$7.40) to S$40 across five categories. 

When CNA checked on the online marketplace Carousell on Friday (May 31), there were at least a dozen listings offering to sell match tickets at higher prices.

One Carousell user was selling their Category 3 match tickets at S$75 each, more than three times the retail price of S$20. The seller was offering the tickets as a pair.

Another person was selling a Category 1 ticket for S$100, while one listing offered a ticket in the same category for S$80. A Category 1 ticket from FAS costs S$40.

One listing offered a ticket at S$55 for a "non-restricted seat view", but did not mention which category.

There were also tickets being offered for the away section, which is reserved for South Korean fans. One Carousell user offered S$200 for a seat in the away end. The original price was S$30.

It was not just touts – there were also several Carousell listings from users looking to buy tickets. One potential buyer offered S$305 for two hospitality tickets, which was nearly the same as the cost price.

In response to CNA's queries, FAS warned of the risk of buying match tickets through unauthorised channels as they may be counterfeit. 

"Fans are strongly discouraged from purchasing tickets from any third-party resellers as these transactions are subjected to the buyer’s own risk," said an FAS spokesperson.

"Tickets obtained through such unauthorised sources may be found to be counterfeit or invalid and those found to (be) using such tickets will face denial of entry to the match."

The spokesperson added that neither FAS nor its sales partner Ticketek Singapore will be held liable if tickets are found to be "illegitimate, invalid or fraudulent".

"We seek everyone’s cooperation in helping us maintain the integrity and safety of our events," the association's spokesperson said. 

Among the 50,000 sold-out tickets for seats at the National Stadium, 5,000 were allocated for away fans for the Jun 6 clash. 

It will be Tsutomu Ogura's second home match as Singapore's head coach. Singapore held China to a 2-2 draw in his first match in charge.

Ogura has called on Lions' supporters to act as "our 12th man" for the South Korea match. The reverse fixture saw Singapore on the receiving end of a 5-0 hammering in Seoul last November.

South Korea will have a new face in the dugout, with former Lions City Sailors manager Kim Do-hoon taking over on an interim basis.

Kim's temporary appointment comes after under-23 coach Hwang Sun-hong was put in interim charge for South Korea's home and away World Cup qualifiers against Thailand in March.