“She Deserved a Red Card”: Outcry Over ‘Butchered’ National Anthem at Springboks’ Match in Italy
- South Africans were unamused when an Italian singer sang the national anthem before the Springboks-Italy match
- A local man felt that the woman had butchered the lyrics and couldn't understand what she was singing
- Some social media users expressed that they felt disrespected, while others failed to see the blunder
Source: UGC
While the Springboks' winning match against Italy was celebrated in South Africa, fans thought they had lost when it came to the pre-game performance of the national anthem. One local man even felt that the woman who rendered the song of pride messed it up completely.
The Italian rugby team hosted the Rugby World Cup champions in the city of Turin on Saturday, 15 November, 2025, and had an Italian singer to belt out the lyrics. Unfortunately, it sounded as if she had mispronounced a few words.
Content creator Quintis Jacobs shared his disappointment online on 16 November, 2025, saying:
"If ever in my life I heard a butchered song, it was yesterday. When she got to the Afrikaans piece, there were some words I didn't know she was singing. I don't know if she was singing in Dutch, but that was not Afrikaans."
Quintis, who may have been joking or serious, called for Gayton McKenzie, South Africa's Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, to investigate people singing national anthems at sporting events.
Internet responds to 'butchered' national anthem
Several people on the internet laughed at the awkward situation, while others agreed with Quintis that the delivery of the national anthem was poorly executed. However, there were a few people who didn't have a problem with what the woman had presented.
The clip also reminded people of South African reggae musician Ras Dumisani. The artist received backlash and major criticism when he performed the national anthem for the Springboks' 2009 game against France. Many blamed him for the team's 20-13 defeat.
Source: Twitter
Watch the national anthem being sung by the Italian singer in the X post below:
@thys.potgieter wrote in the comment section:
"I don't have a problem with her; it is very unfair to her. Just get someone who understands the languages and who has sung the anthem before. You can't use someone who is not familiar with our languages."
Referring to the people in the original video, @lebogang.mabuza1 laughed and said:
"The confusion on their faces killed me."
@wealthy_amber told the online community:
"l just went to look for the video, and l hear nothing wrong."
@justvee1710 humorously remarked:
"She deserved a red card."
@jvd19742 assumed sabotage and stated in the comments:
"This was all planned, according to me. The volume of the mic was overwhelmingly high. It was all just another brain game against the Springboks."
@mogau654 added under the post:
"Where are South Africans to sing the anthem? They don't understand that this is our pride. I feel disrespected."
@ajtok1 suggested a solution to avoid national anthem blunders, writing:
"They should start using school choirs. This would give them exposure and strengthen our commitment to one nation."
Watch the TikTok video of the criticism posted on Quintis's account below:
3 Other stories about the national anthem
- In another article, Briefly News reported that a two-year-old passionately sang the national anthem, showing a powerful love for his country. Online users praised the little boy's parents for raising him well.
- A South African content creator recorded a high school learner getting emotional while singing the national anthem. Many South Africans felt that they could relate to the young man's feelings about the country.
- Singer Nandi Madida responded to the old version of the South African national anthem, sharing her favourite parts and revealing that the country's history saddened her.
Source: Briefly News
