JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) – South Africans began  queuing outside ticket offices last evening after FIFA  released an additional 90,000 World Cup seats on to the market  including the previously sold-out final and semi-finals.

Soccer’s ruling body said the tickets, which became  available after final stadium inspections and freeing up of  seats, would mean there were still 164,000 tickets available out  of almost 2.9 million for the 64 matches.

More than 100 people desperate to get seats for specific  matches from the newly-released batch were queuing outside a  ticket office in the Sandton district of Johannesburg on  Thursday.

Most said they wanted tickets for the opening match and  final, semi-finals or any game involving South Africa.

Vanesh Reddy said he had been queuing since Wednesday night.

“All we want is to see a match, we just want to be part of a  South Africa match. I’m not a diehard soccer fan, but I just  want to be part of this celebration,” he said.

Some 96 percent of tickets have been sold and FIFA secretary  general Jerome Valcke said the target was to sell up to 97 or 98  percent, in line with previous editions of the tournament.

“This would make us very happy,” he said at Ellis Park, one  of the 10 World Cup venues.

Valcke said on Wednesday that 150,000 additional tickets  would be released on Friday but FIFA officials said that had  included tickets already for sale.