Free Football Tickets for South Africans Jabbed | Soccer

South African football fans who are vaccinated can get free entry to watch the national team take on Ethiopia in a World Cup qualifier next month, the country’s football association said. .

Its boss Danny Jordaan said the deal would apply to half of the tickets.

It is the subject of an agreement with the government and depends on the number of fans present, according to the News24 site.

The government is concerned about rising anti-vaccine sentiment in the country.

Only 10 million people have been vaccinated against Covid-19, and the government says that must reach 40 million for the immunity of the population.

But a recent study by Ask Afrika found that only 62% of people were ready to accept the jab, which is below the government’s target.

Lack of confidence and fear of side effects were cited as the main reasons.

After a slow start to its vaccine rollout, South Africa now has enough doses for any adult who wants a vaccine.

More than 80,000 people have died from Covid-19 in South Africa, more than any other country on the continent.

Local media quote Mr Jordaan as referring to the mass crowds pictured at Euro 2020 matches in June and July.

“When you look at what’s going on in Europe, why can the Euro finals have over 60,000 people in the stadium, can the fans celebrate before, during and after the game?”

Mr. Jordan had a clear message for fans who don’t want the vaccine, according to News24.

“It is very clear that if you are not vaccinated you cannot come to the stadium.”

“We want you to come to the stadium. We don’t want you to go to the hospital.”

The country’s vice president, David Mabuza, said the sports and arts industry needs audiences to function properly and “make a significant contribution to the economy.”

He said the goal of the campaign was to encourage more people to get bitten so that they could attend large-scale events.

It is not yet clear what other events will be included in the initiative.

Some people have also tried to encourage their compatriots to get vaccinated – including a woman who organized a viral raffle on social media giving freebies to people who have been vaccinated.

Rumors and anti-vaccine conspiracies have spread across South Africa, including false theories that the Covid-19 vaccine is a Western conspiracy to reduce the size of the African population.

The country’s top judge, Chief Justice Mogoeng, has come under fire after a video was released showing him linking vaccines to a “satanic program.”