AFF Suzuki Cup: 80,000 Tickets For Semi-Final Fixture Sold Out

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- All 80,000 tickets for the AFF Suzuki 2018 Cup semi-final clash between Malaysia and Thailand on Dec 1 at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium have been sold, Thursday. According to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), physical tickets sold over the counter at the National Stadium which opened at 10 am were sold out within three hours. It added that tickets sold at selected branches such as Al-Ikhsan Sports and Football Republic were also all gone. The total also includes 40,000 tickets made available online earlier. FAM via its Facebook page thanked Malaysians for their support and hoped that the full stadium would result in a positive result for Harimau Malaya. Malaysia plays Thailand on home ground in the first leg of the semi-final and will need a good cushion before heading to the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on Dec 5 The Harimau Malaya squad lost 4-3 in aggregate to the War Elephants in the 2014 semi-final, which the latter went on to win, and it retained the championship in the 2016 edition. Checks by Bernama at the National Stadium Thursday found that people had begun lining up for the tickets as early as 7am. Shukur Ridhwan, who came all the way from southern state of Johor said he was pleased with the process of purchasing the tickets which he described as being orderly and efficient. "I took the day off today to come and buy tickets, and I hope the national squad can defeat Thailand and head into the final," said the 20-year-old who started off from Johor Bahru at 5 am. Meanwhile, Athirah Anuar, 29,  said she also arrived early to get her hands on the tickets and was confident the national team would deliver this weekend. "Although I am a woman, it is no barrier for me to love football, and I'm confident the national team can get this win for all the fans," said the entrepreneur from Shah Alam. -- BERNAMA