When the Anthem Steals the Spotlight: Egypt vs Zimbabwe in AFCON 2025

Key moment and controversy

A major broadcasting blunder during the Egypt vs Zimbabwe match on Monday drew wide reaction across social media.

Egypt opened its Africa Cup of Nations 2025 campaign against Zimbabwe at Adrar Stadium in Agadir, Morocco.

Spectators were surprised by the cameras lingering on Zimbabwean players during the playing of the Egyptian national anthem.

Many social media users circulated the moment with mocking comments about the director's lack of focus and the grave error he made.

In the other group, South Africa secured a dramatic 2-1 win over Angola, while Egypt watched from the same group.

Egypt conceded a goal after 20 minutes, courtesy of a mistake by defender Hossam Abdel-Moneim.

Egypt's head coach Hossam Hassan made an early substitution at the 32nd minute, bringing Mustafa Mohamed on for Imam Ashour.

Match context and aftermath

The incident added a light-hearted note to a competitive group stage as fans debated what could have been different with a smoother broadcast.

Note to the director: next time, let the anthem finish before the cameras roll.

If in doubt, focus on the scoreboard—it's the only joke that actually changes the game.