Fifa has now spoken out against ticketing scams that sold fake tickets to soccer fans, leaving them frustrated at various stadiums across the country - and pointed directly at Norway's Euroteam as a culprit. In South Africa yesterday, Fifa spokesman Nicolas Maingot said fans had been warned in advance not to buy tickets from service providers not accredited with the organisation. The main company - Match - that controls the secondary ticket market is partially owned by FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s nephew - Philippe - who is a shareholder of Match Hospitality AG and has allegedly made millions. FIFA Organising Committee CEO Danny Jordaan’s brother is also said to be benefiting financially from the World Cup via a relationship with Match, according to the South African press.  He stands to gain more than €320,000 by the time his short contract ends in August.

Colonel Vishnu Naidoo, a police spokesman for the 2010 World Cup, told the South African press that a German man was caught with 72 tickets, worth €10,000, in his hotel room in Johannesburg's Sandton district before the World Cup began. He and a Danish citizen, whom Naidoo said are known to be associated with Euroteam, were released on bail after an initial court appearance and are due back next week to face charges of selling illegal tickets. EU Ticket News also covered the story last week.

"We have published many warnings since 2006 that people who want to buy tickets should go buy tickets through Fifa channels," Maingot said in a press conference.

The ticketing scams have also swindled more than €700,000 from a number of local South African companies such as the petrochemicals giant Sasol. The Sunday Times reported that a ticketing firm invoiced Sasol Oil who actually paid for 110 tickets for the two semi-finals and the final. as well as VIP hospitality services at matches, including meals and drinks. Clifford Green, a lawyer acting for Fifa and its hospitality affiliate Match, confirmed to the Sunday Times that this week, he had handed over a dossier of affidavits from seven companies, outlining their huge losses.

The Star in South Africa reports that during South Africa's opening World Cup match against Mexico, two women sat quietly amid the chaos.

The reason for their downcast mood was not a lack of interest in football. They were depressed after falling foul of a Norwegian company called Euroteam, which they tried to purchase tickets from on the internet for that night's game between France and Uruguay. "We paid $860 (€600) for two tickets from euroteam.info," said one of the well-dressed women in their early 40s, who didn't want to be named.

"We only realised something was wrong when we never got confirmation."

The two ladies, who got their money back from Mastercard, don't blame FIFA, although they were irked they got little sympathy when they notified the ruling body of their woes.What irritated them the most was that companies such as Euroteam can advertise openly on the internet.

FIFA says it monitors the internet for companies making illegal offers, and then works with international authorities to shut them down.Given that euroteam.info was on Sunday still advertising ticket and travel packages worth thousands of dollars for games up to and including the final, it would appear FIFA is making little progress.