“Mo Salah’s Late Strike Seals Win, But Egypt Under Fire From CAF for Media Breach”
Egypt have been hit with a fine and a firm warning from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following their win over Zimbabwe at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The seven-time champions kicked off their Group B campaign with a dramatic comeback, as Mohamed Salah scored in stoppage time to seal victory for Hossam Hassan’s side.
Despite dominating close to 80 percent of possession in the first half, Egypt went into halftime behind after Zimbabwe’s Prince Dube scored against the flow of play. Omar Marmoush equalized in the 64th minute, before Salah calmly fired home a late winner past goalkeeper Washington Arubi.
After the match, Hassan acknowledged his team made the contest harder than it needed to be. “We were unlucky and wasted many chances,” he said. “I warned the players about this, and it’s a lesson we must take forward.”
However, the repercussions were not limited to the on-field performance. CAF fined Egypt $5,000 for failing to fulfill mandatory post-match media duties. Reports from Africa Top Sports revealed that both players and officials skipped the mixed-zone interviews after the game.
Journalist Micky Jnr added that the entire Egyptian delegation bypassed the media, a clear violation of CAF regulations. As a result, CAF issued a stern warning, stating that tougher sanctions would be imposed if the breach happens again after Egypt’s upcoming group match against South Africa on Friday.
CAF reiterated that post-match media engagements are an essential part of the competition, designed to promote African football, enhance transparency, and strengthen fan connection.
Turning attention to the South Africa clash, Hassan underlined the need for concentration. “There are no simple matches in this tournament,” he said. “Our goal is to win the competition. Egypt is one of Africa’s biggest football nations and must compete for the trophy.”