All reports by Ramatsiyi Moholoa

All reports by Ramatsiyi Moholoa

The ANC Youth League has joined forces with the Local Organising Committee to spread the gospel of the Confederations Cup.

Julius Malema, the popular and at times controversial Youth League president, has urged South Africans to apply for tickets to the Festival of Champions scheduled for June.

"Like all the other structures such as Fifa and the Cabinet, we are also concerned about the Confederations Cup," he said.

"We know that in South Africa the majority of our people have a tendency of waiting until the day of the game to purchase tickets - that's old fashioned.

"It's been happening for decades - during the Premiership games featuring Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, Free State Stars and many others.

"The days of forming long queues outside the stadiums have reached a sell-by date, our people must start making use of the pre-sale ticket facilities available.

"Fifa and the LOC have created a platform for our people in South Africa to apply for tickets locally to accommodate those without internet access.

"This is in addition to using the official Fifa website, as has been the case with the previous Confederations Cup and World Cup events."

Malema said they were happy to see that the stadiums for the Confederations Cup and World Cup were in the process of being completed.

"When we won the bid to host the 2010 World Cup, we promised the world that we will stage the most memorable event ever.

"For the Confederations Cup and World Cup to be a roaring success, South Africans must also come on board and support the two competitions."

He said it will be embarrassing if most of the people in the stands for the two competitions are from foreign countries.

"We have to show the world we are passionate about soccer by applying for tickets for the Confederations and World Cup," said Malema.