Frankfurt, Jan 19 (DPA) The German football federation (DFB) admitted Tuesday that ticket sales for this summer's World Cup in South Africa are much lower than previously forecast.

DFB general secretary Wolfgang Niersbach revealed in the organisation's website that just 1,916 tickets had been ordered through the DFB for Germany's three group games against Australia, Ghana and Serbia.

So far, FIFA and the DFB have received around 6,700 out of a possible 21,000 reservations for the group phase matches although this figure is based on FIFA estimates, said Niersbach.

Originally, only one sales phase for the national associations - from December 5 to January 13 - had been planned but last Friday, football's world governing body announced a new phase in an effort to combat the sluggish sale of World Cup tickets.

The new PMS (participating member association) sales phase will start February 9 and run until April 7. It will run at the same time as the fourth sales phase for the general public.