The Egyptian national team, led by coach Hossam Hassan, kicked off their 2027 African Cup of Nations qualifying journey with a goalless draw against Angola on Friday, September 26, 2026. The match took place at Cairo International Stadium, marking the beginning of the qualifiers for the tournament set to be hosted jointly by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. Egypt's lineup included Mustafa Shobier, Ahmed Fattouh, and Mohamed Hani, while Angola fielded Hugo Marques and Cristovao Maboulolu.
Despite dominating possession in the early minutes, Egypt struggled to create significant scoring opportunities. Angola showed promise with a strong shot from outside the box by Maboulolu in the 7th minute, which went over the crossbar. Egypt's first notable chance came in the 16th minute when Imad Ashour's pass to Mahmoud Saber resulted in a shot that narrowly missed the Angolan goal.
Egypt's Mohamed Hani attempted a powerful shot that was blocked by an Angolan player, leading to a corner kick. Later, in the 22nd minute, Egypt thought they had scored through Mustafa Ziko, but the goal was disallowed for offside. As the first half drew to a close, Angola threatened with a shot from Kilianno Manuel, which goalkeeper Mustafa Shobier expertly parried.
The second half saw Egypt continuing to control the ball but failing to capitalize on their possession. A chance arose when Hossam Hassan made substitutions, introducing Omar Marmoush and Ahmed Sayed Zizo to boost the team's attacking prowess. However, Marmoush's effort in the 67th minute, following a pass from Imad Ashour, sailed wide of the Angolan goal.
As the match neared its end, Egypt's Ali Mahmoud made his international debut in the 89th minute. Moments later, Marmoush had a golden opportunity to score but his strong shot from within the box was saved by the Angolan goalkeeper. The match concluded with a scoreless draw, costing Egypt two points in the early stages of the qualifiers.
This result places Egypt in a challenging position in Group 2, with Malawi taking the lead after their 2-1 victory over South Sudan. This draw marks the second scoreless tie for Hossam Hassan against Angola, following their encounter in the group stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Egypt's next match is against South Sudan on Tuesday.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to take place from June to July 2027, hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. Egypt's performance in the qualifiers has set a cautious tone for their campaign, with the team needing to regroup and strategize for their upcoming fixtures to secure a spot in the tournament.
Key points
- Egypt began their 2027 African Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a scoreless draw against Angola.
- The draw leaves Egypt in a challenging position in Group 2, behind Malawi.
- Egypt's next qualifying match is against South Sudan on Tuesday.
