Whistles, Whispers, and a Captain's Promise: Salah Steps Up as AFCON 2025 Unfolds
18 January 2026
Whistles during the anthem ignite AFCON 2025 tensions
Mustafa Abu Zahra, a member of the Egyptian Football Association, expressed his displeasure at Moroccan fans' whistles during the Egyptian national anthem ahead of the Nigeria game in AFCON 2025.
The crowd in the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca reportedly whistled as the Egyptian anthem played, a response tied to remarks by Hassan’s coaching team about organizing the tournament.
Egypt ultimately fell to Nigeria 2-4 on penalties after a 0-0 draw, finishing in fourth place at the continental championship.
Abu Zahra appeared on ON Sport early Sunday morning to say, I thank Morocco for hosting, regardless of the whistles during the anthem.
He added, This is a major mistake, and I expect a reaction from them. In Agadir the hosting was excellent, but the closing moment wasn’t good.
He further noted, The accommodations were good before the Senegal match; we are adults and we can only tell the truth.
Regarding other possible reasons for the loss to Senegal in the semi-finals, he said, We lost the match on the pitch, I’m not blaming the referee or any external conditions for this result.
These remarks contrasted with comments from Hassan and Ibrahim Hassan, who had previously complained about the hotel accommodations.
Salah offers support to the federation
In a separate thread, Abu Zahra said Mohamed Salah, captain of the Egyptian team, expressed readiness to help the federation in several important matters, notably attracting dual-national players.
He said he had a lengthy discussion with Salah after the Nigeria game, and the player offered to cooperate on more than one file, including the issue of naturalized players, and told him he is at the federation’s service if asked to persuade a player to join Egypt.
When Abu Zahra told Salah that the team would stay in Morocco if they won the final to receive medals, Salah allegedly replied, I am the last player to leave the camp.
Abu Zahra concluded by saying Salah previously stated that this camp was the best of his life, and he replied that it was the best camp for anyone in it.
A reader poll followed, asking whether Salah can bring AFCON gold home to Egypt.
Punchline 1: If whistles could score, Morocco would already be lifting the trophy. Punchline 2: Salah’s willingness to help is so infectious that even the referee might request a transfer to his side of the pitch.
