MTN8 final ticket website crashes as Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns fans face frustration

Ticket sales for the MTN8 final between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns were disrupted by a widespread outage on the Open Tickets website.

The match is scheduled to take place at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, October 10, with the venue confirmed by the PSL and sponsors MTN on Monday.

Sales opened at 10:00 on Friday, prompting supporters of both clubs, as well as neutral fans, to try to secure tickets for one of the most anticipated matches in the local sporting calendar.

However, many users were unable to complete their purchases. Some were placed in lengthy online queues, while others encountered server errors or had their checkout sessions fail.

The problems led to a backlash on social media, with some supporters saying they no longer wanted to attend the match in person. Criticism was also directed at the PSL and MTN for taking a month to confirm the venue, despite the size of the clubs’ support bases and the significance of the fixture.

Open Tickets said the disruption was caused by exceptionally high demand and that an automated queue had been introduced to manage traffic on its servers.

“We know that you are excited to watch this highly anticipated match,” the ticket distributor said in a statement.

“Due to the exceptionally high demand for this match, an automated queuing system is currently active to manage server traffic and ensure fair ticket distribution.

“Please stay in the queue; closing or refreshing this page may cause you to lose your spot.”

Orlando Pirates later used their social media platforms to tell supporters that the website was operating and processing ticket purchases.

All tickets for the final are digital. They cost R150 each, and supporters are limited to buying a maximum of four tickets per transaction.

The MTN8 final is the latest meeting in a rivalry between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns that has intensified in recent years.

The situation remains ongoing.