Organizers: No plan to lower ticket prices

JOHANNESBURG: Despite a half-empty stadium for Spain's win against New Zealand on the opening day of the Confederations Cup, organizers said on Monday they had no plans to lower ticket prices to give poor South Africans a better chance of attending a match.

Spain beat New Zealand 5-0 at the Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenburg, but only 21,649 fans were there to watch at the 42,000-seat venue.

"The South African nation's job is to host the event, not attend it," said Rich Mkhondo, the 2010 World Cup organizing committee spokesman. "You can take the horse to the water, but you can't force it to drink that water."