BUSINESS tycoon Phillip Chiyangwa says he parted with US$1 million to secure his company, Native Investments Africa Groups (NIAG) the 2010 soccer World Cup agent rights for Zimbabwe.
The controversial businessman said most local companies had failed to raise the amount resulting in NIAG securing the rights to be the local agent for Match Hospitality AG.
Match Hospitality, a Swiss company was appointed by FIFA as its worldwide exclusive hospitality rights holder for the World Cup finals set for June in South Africa.
FIFA says the Zurich-based firm is the only company allowed to offer exclusive hospitality packages through its appointed sales agents including tickets and services for every match of the World Cup finals.
Chiyangwa said Match had in turn chosen his NIAG as is its exclusive Zimbabwe agent.
“Some leading businesses that you know all failed to raise the amounts that Match required and we realised an opportunity which we took, as we know we are in the business of making money,” the businessman told a press conference in Harare.
He said the current scuffles over the 2010 agent rights will be settled in the coming week with Match making the formal announcement.
“There are individuals who continue to claim to be agents for the World Cup but this will all be put to rest in the coming week with Match issuing a statement to the effect that NIAG has the exclusive rights for the Zimbabwe,”Chiyangwa said.
Chiyangwa said his company had managed to surpass its sales target for its World Cup packages with two of them being placed on the market.
“We have oversold what we were supposed to sell, we overshot the target four times and this was all done within two weeks.” said Chiyangwa.
He said NIAG would be putting general seat tickets on the market in the coming week.
A NIAG official who also attended to press conference said packages being handled by Chiyangwa’s firm are different from the allocation that national associations like Zifa would get from Fifa for each World Cup.
Fans will have to fork out about US$550 for the cheapest ticket on the NIAG package and covers matches in the earlier rounds of the tournament.
The spokesman said tickets for the final have been pegged at US$7 500 while for the quarter-final fans will have to pay US$3 000.Semi-final packages are available for US$4 500 each.