The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has fined the Egypt national football team $5,000 for failing to meet its media obligations following the team’s opening match against Zimbabwe at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
In a statement, CAF said the seven-time African champions were penalised after players and technical staff ignored journalists in the designated mixed zone, leaving without granting post-match interviews. The governing body said the entire Egyptian delegation bypassed their media duties, a requirement CAF describes as essential for transparency and the promotion of the tournament.
Alongside the financial penalty, CAF issued a warning to Egypt, stating that further violations of media regulations would result in stiffer sanctions. The body highlighted Egypt’s upcoming Matchday Two fixture against South Africa, noting that compliance with media protocols would be closely monitored.
CAF emphasised that failure to adhere to post-match media duties would prompt harsher measures, underlining that access to journalists is a non-negotiable part of AFCON’s competition framework.
Egypt are set to face South Africa next, with attention now focused not only on their performance on the pitch but also on their adherence to tournament rules. The incident has sparked reactions online, with some fans criticising Egypt’s behaviour, while others argued that the $5,000 fine was too lenient.
