Mzansi complains after Tyla’s brief World Cup appearance before Bafana v Mexico

South Africans praised Tyla for singing the national anthem ahead of Bafana Bafana’s World Cup opener against Mexico, but many took to social media to complain that broadcasters gave the Grammy Award‑winning singer only a fleeting on‑screen moment.

What happened on the pitch

Tyla performed the South African national anthem at the 2026 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Mexico City. FIFA had promoted her appearance ahead of the match at Estadio Azteca.

Fans say the broadcast fell short

Viewers on social media expressed frustration after the televised coverage moved on quickly, with many saying she received what was described as a “two‑second guest appearance” and that the cameras barely captured her before cutting away.

Social media reaction

The response mixed pride in seeing a South African artist on a global stage with disappointment at the way the moment was shown.

“Like why did she appear for 2 seconds on screen 😩 yooooh hai ke. We couldn’t even see this dress AGGREY ( MR NICE ®️) (@Aggrey92) June 11, 2026”

“They only showed her face at the end.Awful opening ceremony anyway.But wow our flag is beautiful MR GN (@Ntsuku7) June 11, 2026”

Some viewers joked they had looked away for a single second and missed the entire performance, while others called for a replay from FIFA.

Where the criticism was aimed

The criticism was directed at the broadcast rather than Tyla. Commentators and fans said the issue was the way the performance was presented to television audiences, not the performance itself.

What stayed clear

Despite the complaints about screen time, the appearance did mark Tyla singing the South African national anthem on the World Cup stage alongside other acts at the opening ceremony.