Fans at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco have been allowed into stadiums for free after matches have started when venues were not full, a Confederation of African Football source told AFP.
During Wednesday’s Group F clash between Cameroon and Gabon in Agadir, the game began in front of nearly empty stands.
However, the stadium gradually filled up during the first half, despite persistent rain.
Official figures later put attendance at 35,200 in a venue capable of hosting over 45,000 spectators.
Similar patterns have been observed at several matches since the tournament began, sometimes causing confusion over reported attendance numbers.
For instance, Tuesday’s Group D fixture between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Benin at Rabat’s Al Medina Stadium was initially announced as having 6,703 fans, before later being corrected to 13,073.
According to the CAF source, organizers, in coordination with African football’s governing body, have been opening gates roughly 20 minutes into matches to allow fans waiting outside to enter without charge.
Filling stadiums is a key priority for Morocco as host of the tournament, particularly as the country prepares for the 2030 World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
Despite these measures, tickets remain widely available for most remaining group-stage matches, with prices starting at 100 dirhams ($10.96).
Only a few fixtures are reported as sold out, including Morocco’s matches against Mali and Zambia, and Algeria’s games against Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea.
