altA Nigerian man, Kunle Benjamin, has been sentenced to three years in the slammer by a special World Cup court in South Africa for possession of 30 match tickets.  The man was sentenced on Wednesday a mere three days after his arrest on Sunday. Police said in a statement yesterday that a magistrate at the World Cup court convicted Benjamin of possessing stolen property.

"He was convicted on a charge of possessing stolen property and sentenced to three years imprisonment without the option of a fine," said spokeswoman Sally de Beer in a press release. "It was discovered that they were purchased by two men via the Internet and that their addresses could not be verified".

Police said they arrested him after he could not give a decent explanation why he had the tickets in his possession. The Nigerian was stopped in his car in  Pretoria, the capital of South Africa, when police noticed him driving "erratically".

"This is yet again an example of the effectiveness of having dedicated teams ... to deal with World Cup-related offences," the police statement said. Benjamin is thought to be the first person sentenced to a jail term by one of the temporary court and South African police have moved quickly to strangle on any illegal activity that affects the commercial rights of FIFA and the World Cup.

Two Dutchwomen were also arrested Wednesday for alleged ambush marketing after they were among 30 women wearing bright orange dresses provided by a beer company to the World Cup game between The Netherlands and Denmark. Police said Barbara Castelein and Minte Niewpoort were each granted bail of 10,000 rand (US$1,300) and had their passports confiscated. They will face charges relating to "unlawful commercial activities". FIFA added it would also press charges against the organisers of the stunt, brewer Bavaria, which is not a World Cup sponsor.