A special World Cup court has sentenced a Nigerian man to three years in prison for being in possession of 30 stolen tickets in South Africa.

Kunle Benjamin was stopped in his car in the capital, Pretoria, when police noticed him driving "erratically".

"As the suspect was acting suspiciously police decided to search him and the 30 tickets were discovered," said police spokeswoman Sally de Beer.

More than 50 courts have been set up to deal with World Cup related crimes.

Mr Benjamin was unable to tell the court how he came to be in possession of the tickets, police say.

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Fifa say they discovered the tickets had been bought by two men on the internet, but their addresses could not be verified.

"This is yet again an example of the effectiveness of having dedicated teams, to deal with World Cup-related offences," said Ms de Beer.

Mr Benjamin is thought to be the first person sentenced to a jail term by one of the temporary courts, reports AP news agency.

"We can only urge fans please to never buy tickets other than through the authorised ticket sales channels," said Fifa spokesperson Nicolas Maingot.

Sad story for a hustling Nigerian. Lesson? Be cautious while chasing money in foreign land.