Although tickets for the second leg of the AFF Cup semifinal between Vietnam and Singapore have yet to be distributed to fans who successfully purchased them online, the resale market is already in high demand.

High demand overwhelms official sales

On December 22, the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) opened online ticket sales for the much-anticipated match, and within 15 minutes, all tickets were sold out.

Tickets were offered at three price tiers: VND 300,000, VND 500,000, and VND 600,000, significantly higher - three times the price - than tickets for Vietnam’s group-stage matches.

Fans who secured tickets will receive a maximum of four per person directly from the VFF.

Despite not yet being officially distributed, resale tickets on the "black market" are being sold at steep markups.

On the morning of December 23, a pair of B-section tickets with a face value of VND 1.2 million was being resold for VND 3.2 to 3.5 million. Tickets priced at VND 600,000 per pair were also being sold at triple their original value.

The Viet Tri Stadium in Phu Tho Province, which has a seating capacity of only 20,000 - half that of My Dinh Stadium - has further fueled the ticket frenzy. Known for their passionate support, Phu Tho locals have added to the intense demand for seats.

Packed stadiums for both legs

Not only has the home match in Vietnam sparked a ticket craze, but the first leg in Singapore has also seen overwhelming demand.

Tickets for the match at Jalan Besar Stadium went on sale at 12:00 PM on December 22, with prices set at SGD 49 (approximately VND 920,000), SGD 35, and SGD 24.

By 5:20 PM the same day, all 5,375 tickets had been sold out. Resale tickets on the black market in Singapore are reportedly going for as high as VND 4 million per pair.

The first leg of the semifinal will kick off at 8:00 PM on December 26 in Singapore, while the second leg is scheduled for 8:00 PM on December 29 in Vietnam, where coach Kim Sang Sik and his players will host Singapore at Viet Tri Stadium.

Dai Nam