November 1, 2007
By Ndaba Dlamini
ETIENNE MUTEBA is one of the first lucky people in the world to get tickets to watch the final match of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ at Soccer City.
Muteba, a manager at First National Bank (FNB), won a pair of tickets to the final in the bank's LearntoScore campaign, in which 3 000 tickets are up for grabs for the bank's staff.
FNB is the official National Supporter of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ through its US$30-million (about R197-million) sponsorship of the event.
Smartly dressed in a dark suit and wearing a big smile, Muteba said he was excited to have won two tickets to watch the big game in 2010.
Xolisa Vapi, head of FNB corporate communications, FNB CEO Michael Jordaan, LOC CEO Danny Jordaan and head of Fifa Office in SA, Ron Delmont at the launch of the FNB 2010 Fifa World Cup Promotion at SAFA House
"I never dreamed that I would have [the] opportunity to attend any of the World Cup matches, let alone the final. I am looking forward to enjoying the … final match at Soccer City with my five-year-old son, who will be eight then."
The FNB LearntoScore campaign is running concurrently with another competition that the bank launched at Safa House on Wednesday, 31 October - the 2010 Fifa World Cup Promotion. In this promotion, the bank will give away 16 000 tickets to South Africans who have any of FNB's qualifying banking products.
The promotion runs from 1 November until 30 April 2010.
FNB customers who have any of the active qualifying products, are entered automatically into each of the 12 draws over the next three years. A customer will automatically "score" a single goal for each open and active qualifying FNB product held at draw time. One additional goal will be scored for conducting four or more ATM withdrawals a month from any FNB ATM, using an FNB Visa or FNB Visa Electron Card.
At least 1 000 tickets will be handed out after the first draw in February 2008. However, for security reasons, the winners will be given personalised, non-transferable certificates that will be exchanged for real tickets, to be printed a few months before the World Cup, according to the bank's chief executive, Michael Jordaan.
"FNB is the official National Supporter of the … World Cup … The sponsorship entitles the bank to a package of rights and benefits that include access to purchasable match tickets to the tournament, as well as to the Fifa Confederations Cup 2009."
The aim of the promotion was to ensure that as many people as possible – especially those who would not be able to afford match tickets – would be able to watch the World Cup games live, Jordaan added.
Etienne Muteba (in grey suit) is congratulated by FNB CEO Michael Jordaan, Fifa's Ron Delmont and LOC CEO Danny Jordaan for winning a ticket to the 2010 World Cup finals
Congratulating FNB for the being the first organisation to make tickets available to "ordinary citizens", the chief executive of the 2010 Fifa World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC), Danny Jordaan, said that the promotion would maintain the upbeat momentum that was expected to develop out of its first draw.
"Once the preliminary results are made public, the tournament will take on greater significance to the world's soccer fraternity. FNB's campaign ensures that South Africans too are guaranteed a part of this action, and rightfully so, as the host nation of this mammoth event."
Asked about the possible resale of tickets won through the promotion, Jordaan said very "serious measures" would be taken against people who tried this. "There is a possibility that legislation will be brought out to make reselling of match tickets a criminal offence."
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