Jaw-Dropping Football Fans at AFCON Go Viral as Truth Behind Stunning Photo is Revealed

Two stunning football fans went viral while cheering on Zambia at AFCON, but the reality behind the eye-catching photo—and who they really are—has now come to light.

Two Zambia fans went viral during AFCON celebrations.

A photo of two stunning football fans celebrating Zambia's last-minute equalizer at AFCON went viral, but the truth is not quite what it seemed.

Leicester City forward Patson Daka scored a stoppage-time equalizer to salvage a point in Zambia's opening AFCON match against Mali. The crucial result keeps the Chipolopolo in strong contention to advance from Group A under manager Moses Sichone, who replaced former Chelsea boss Avram Grant in October.

During the celebrations, TV cameras swept across the stands to capture the fans' excitement. Soon after, a photo surfaced on X showing two striking women celebrating in matching orange crop tops and jeans, with many fans rushing to the comments to praise their appearance.

The image spread widely on social media, with users applauding their looks and even joking they would now tune into the tournament. One comment read: “AFCON is the best tournament in the world.”

Patson Daka risked serious injury with his failed acrobatic celebration

However, the truth behind the photo has since emerged: it was the work of someone using AI to alter the image. The original shot actually showed a real fan celebrating the goal—neither of the two women featured in the viral photo were actually at the match.

That fabricated image circulated during a chaotic opening week for AFCON, not just for Zambia—whose hero Daka risked serious injury when he landed on his neck after an attempted acrobatic celebration.

Elsewhere in Group A, Morocco defeated Comoros 2-0 thanks to goals from Real Madrid forward Brahim Díaz, who previously played for Manchester City. The one-time Spain international now represents the Atlas Lions through his father’s heritage.

Díaz’s finish—a tidy strike from 12 yards—stood out as one of the tournament’s best goals so far. Olympiacos striker Ayoub El Kaabi later doubled the lead to secure the three points.

Across other groups, Mohamed Salah scored a stoppage-time winner for Egypt against Zimbabwe after Omar Marmoush had earlier equalized. There were also victories for South Africa, Tunisia, Nigeria, Senegal, and DR Congo.

The opening round of group stage fixtures continues today (Wednesday), while Zambia’s crucial second group match will take place on Boxing Day (Friday, December 26).