Shobier’s Wake-Up Call: National Anthems Are Red Lines, Not Cheer Fuel
17 January 2026
Tensions surrounded the Pharaohs as the 'twin' episode played out between fans and Moroccan media during the national anthem before the third-place clash in AFCON 2025 in Morocco, which ended with Nigeria prevailing 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw.
Egyptian broadcaster and former goalkeeper Ahmed Shobier commented on the jeers from the Moroccan crowd, speaking on his show on Al-Nahar, after the anthem was played before Egypt faced Nigeria. He reminded fans that they are free to cheer, but noted that choosing not to support us is normal and not a problem.
He added: 'I was surprised to see the stands filled with Nigeria supporters, which is their right and not to be challenged. But the real question is whether it is fitting to play the Egyptian national anthem, which holds the same weight as any Arab nation’s anthem, amid boos.'
'You have complete freedom to support any team—even to criticize Hosam Hassan,' he continued, 'but the national anthem is a red line for any country, including an Arab one.'
Sharp Moroccan Turn
Shobier went on to say that the sharp shift in the Moroccan stance during the tournament was hard to fathom, moving from passionate support to conspicuous opposition. He stressed that public statements aside, the Egyptian federation issued an official statement praising the organization of the event.
'We did not discuss refereeing, not once, and we did not issue a statement like the Senegalese federation,' he said. 'In the end, no official Egyptian statement justifies what happened, and even if a comment exists, it does not warrant such a reaction.'
He concluded: 'We Egyptians gave ample support; the blame remains, and I hope the coming period is better. Egypt will undoubtedly host tournaments in the future, and if the same attitude repeats itself, no one will fault us for defending ourselves.'
Punchlines: If national anthems were GPS, fans would still take the wrong turn.
Punchline 2: And if you boo the anthem, remember: even playlists have a repeat button—give it a go and watch the mood change.
