After the Egypt national football team’s opening game at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations against the Zimbabwe national football team, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined the team for not meeting its media obligations.

The seven-time African champions were fined $5,000, according to a statement from CAF, because players and technical staff did not interact with reporters in the designated mixed zone following the final whistle. The governing body claims that the entire Egyptian delegation walked past reporters without offering interviews in order to avoid their post-match media responsibilities.

CAF stated that its rules mandate that teams make players and officials available to the media following games, characterizing this requirement as crucial to openness and tournament promotion.

In addition to the monetary fine, CAF warned Egypt that more violations of media laws would result in harsher penalties. The body emphasized that adherence to media protocols would be closely monitored, specifically mentioning Egypt’s Matchday Two match against the South African national football team.

CAF said it would not hesitate to impose harsher measures should Egypt fail again to meet its responsibilities, underlining that media access remains a non-negotiable aspect of the AFCON competition framework.

Egypt are scheduled to face South Africa later, with attention focused not only on their performance on the pitch but also on their adherence to tournament regulations. The incident has drawn reactions online, with some fans criticising Egypt’s conduct, while others argued that the fine did not go far enough.