World football governing body FIFA is working on a cohesive ticketing strategy for the 2002 World Cup to try to stop black market sales and give genuine fans more protection.

Peter Velappan, FIFA 2002 World Cup coordination director, said it was finalizing the price of tickets and would work out a schedule for orders from all over the world.

Speaking in a statement, Velappan, who is also the Asian Football Confederation secretary, said that Japan had asked for an allocation for 1.5 million tickets.

Velappan, who visited the two host countries -- Japan and SouthKorea ealier this month with FIFA general secretary Michel Zen Ruffinen, noted that they were satisfied with progress in building stadiums.

Velappan said FIFA would organize friendly international matches in each of the stadiums to test the infrastructure, manpower organization, logistics and the movement of teams between the two countries. (Xinhua)