Socceroos fans heading to Sydney's Darling Harbour on Saturday night for the big-screen broadcast of Australia's must-win World Cup match against Ghana have been urged to plan ahead and arrive early.
The venues at Cockle Bay and Tumbalong Park are expected to fill up quickly and gates are likely to be locked before the midnight (0000 Sunday AEST) kick-off.
When Australia played Germany on Monday, the gates were closed two hour before the game started, leaving thousands of fans disappointed.
"The message to football fans is clear - come early to make sure you find a spot," NSW Major Events Minister Kevin Greene said.
"Obviously it's disappointing for people when they just can't get inside," he said in a statement.
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"But once it is full the priority must always be the safety of the site and the families and supporters already inside."
Fans should have a back-up plan in case they can't get in to the big-screen venues, Mr Greene said
After Monday's loss to Germany, the Socceroos need to win both their remaining group matches to be sure of advancing to the next round.
One group of diehard fans was up early on Friday morning, gathering on Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach to wave an 800m long scarf in support of the national team.
The scarf is made up of blog messages collected by team sponsor Qantas in the lead-up to and during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Some 8000 messages were collected to make the green and yellow cloth scarf.
