CAPE TOWN - Fans from Europe and the Americas have bought the bulk of tickets for the 2010 World Cup so far, with African countries trailing, the head of host South Africa’s organising committee said on Thursday.

The month-long tournament will be hosted for the first time on the African continent and has been punted as a continental event.

Only five African countries, including host South Africa, are able to qualify. More Africans may purchase tickets if their countries qualify, said Danny Jordaan, chief executive of South Africa’s World Cup organising committee.

"We sold just over 800,000 (out of a total of 3.2 million) of which about 240,000 were sold inside South Africa,” Jordaan told a media briefing in Cape Town, host venue for the final draw on December 4.

"Very few of those tickets are on the African continent, the highest number is in Ghana, but most of the tickets have gone to Europe and the United States.”

Fans on the world’s poorest continent can also expect to pay hefty fares for often poor-quality transport to travel to South Africa. Many will have to connect to European airports.

Tickets sales, accommodation and transport have emerged as areas of concern for soccer’s world governing body FIFA, despite

Agencies