Tyla and Mzansi Youth Choir fly SA flag at World Cup opening ceremony

South African megastar Tyla delivered a memorable moment of national pride on Thursday when she performed Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika alongside members of the Mzansi Youth Choir ahead of Bafana Bafana’s opening match against Mexico, at the 2026 Fifa World Cup in Mexico City.

The historic performance took place at the iconic Estadio Azteca before a global audience, marking South Africa’s return to football’s biggest stage. As Tyla sang the national anthem, Bafana Bafana’s players sang along proudly on the pitch, joined by coach Hugo Broos and thousands of South African supporters in the stands.

Tyla’s powerful vocals were complemented by members of the renowned choir, whose harmonies added depth and resonance to the performance.

Following the performance, Tyla took to Instagram Live: “Yoh, julle [you guys], I just sang the whole national anthem. I literally thought I was gonna faint, the fumes, the sun, everything — the pyro [technics] — it was crazy.”

She continued: “Hey, South Ahhh … Are you watching the game? Let me show you my outfit. OK, so this is what I wore for the performance,” showing off the sides and back of the dress while having fun re-enacting her stage performance.

“Guys, please tell me why there was only a glimpse,” Tyla added, laughing, referring to the televised broadcast which only showed three seconds of her face in a side profile, without a clear shot of the dress.

Her standout optical-illusion knee-length dress was created by Berlin-based fashion designer Naomi Tarazi featuring the colours of the SA flag with a lace-up section at the back, as well as a sculptured wired flounce at the bottom, representing the shape of a vuvuzela.

Completing her look, the 24-year-old Chanel hitmaker wore Jeffrey Campbell’s Booyah sandals, a distinctive wedge-heel design featuring a sculptural cutout, transparent vinyl strap and metallic ring detail. The white version of the shoe retails for $170 (about R2,770).

The opening ceremony itself was a celebration of football, music and international culture. The event was headlined by Shakira and Burna Boy, who performed their new collaboration, Dai Dai, the official anthem of the 2026 Fifa World Cup.

Tyla will be performing again for the World Cup on Friday evening in Los Angeles with US rapper Future, alongside performances by Katy Perry, Anitta, LISA and Rema.

Dan + Shay will perform the US national anthem, while Purahei Soul will deliver the national anthem of Paraguay, ahead of kickoff. US actor and Fifa World Cup 2026 ambassador Jason Sudeikis will officially welcome fans to Los Angeles.

• All the World Cup fixtures here
• World Cup page here
• All the group profiles here
• Star player profiles here
• Bafana news here

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