Tickets allocated for Malaysian fans at the Shah Alam Stadium as well as those allocated for Thailand and sold at the Malawati Stadium were snapped up when the counters opened from 10.30am to 5.40pm.

Bernama was informed that 45,000 tickets were sold to Malaysian fans. Another 3,000 tickets allocated for Thailand were also snapped up.

Mohd Syakir Syazwan Saharudin, 15, who had queued up as early as 7am, said he was disappointed he would not be able to watch the action live at the Shah Alam Stadium.

“I wanted to buy two tickets and waited in the queue that stretched for more than a kilometre.

“It was a tiring wait and I almost fainted due to the heat,” he said when met at the Shah Alam Stadium.

A sorely disappointed Mohd Kamal Mohd Nizam, 20, described the mad rush for tickets as soon as the counters opened, a selfish act by some.

Fans should have followed the procedures set by the organisers but charged ahead as soon as the counters opened.

“Due to the mad rush, the number of counters was reduced from 20 to 10, causing a massive delay. We waited very long and are angry,” he said.

Nur Ainaa Husna Mohd Rasid, 18, said if tickets were only sold online, such problems could be avoided and fans would not have had to wait in a queue from as early as 3am.

“If tickets were sold online we would not have had to come here and queue up… it has been a waste of time,” she said.

A scuffle also broke out when unhappy fans charged at the gates but Federal Reserve Unit personnel, who were on standby, defused the situation.

Police will also be stepping up inspection at all entrances of Shah Alam Stadium for the 2017 Kuala Lumpur SEA Games men’s football final between Malaysia and Thailand tomorrow.

Selangor police chief Mazlan Mansor said police would be firm against any party trying to create trouble at the football final.

He said security would be tight both on the inside and outside of the stadium tomorrow night.