World Cup 2010 organising committee member Danny Jordaan has said Africans must not be priced out of the competition when it is hosted by South Africa.
"The tournament must be accessible to African football fans," Jordaan said on Thursday.
"It's the poorest of the poor who are the game's biggest fans in Africa."
South Africa won the right to host the 2010 World Cup last month, and their successful bid suggested ticket prices would start at US$20 for group matches while the cheapest seats at the final will be $90.
Top price tickets range from $216 to over $1,000, which is in stark contrast to the price some South Africans usually pay for a premier league game, which is normally around $3.
Currently one in three South Africans is out of work and the average monthly wage for those in the service sector, which is a big employer, is about 1,000 rand ($150).
The organising committee has said it will try to find ways to bring ticket prices down, possibly through subsidies or in co-operation with sponsors, when they meet Fifa officials later this month in Switzerland.
Another idea to have been put forward is a savings scheme for fans in conjunction with banks where funds are saved directly from wage packets.
 |  The poorest of the poor are the game's biggest fans in Africa |
"It's those kind of innovations that we have to introduce to make sure it's an African World Cup ... (given) the specific economic challenges facing Africa," Jordaan said.
Ticket sales will be the driving force behind the tournament's budgeted revenues of $511 million, a figure which more than covers the $158 million earmarked for bringing stadiums up to scratch.
With three new venues planned and ten are to be expanded, Jordaan says that funding for the construction work will come from public and private purses.
South Africa's bid also suggested the country's football association will find $83 million to improve sites.
A manifesto pledge by President Thabo Mbeki's government in last month's elections was to spend 100 billion rand to help ensure rail, road and air transport is up to scratch for 2010.
Jordaan said the investments would create jobs and boost the economy, especially in the tourism and sports sectors where Africa has a tiny slice of the global pie.
"It will help grow the tourist industry and certainly the sports industry. Football is a huge part of the world economy, it's a business worth around $260-$300 billion worldwide annually and Africa has less than one percent of that," he said.
"I think it will be the World Cup with the greatest passion, the most colourful and the noisiest ever."
MMIX
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