Egypt and Angola played out a goalless draw on Monday evening at Adrar Stadium, in the third and final round of Group B matches at the Africa Cup of Nations, currently being held in Morocco.
The Egyptian national team had already secured qualification for the round of 16 as Group B leaders in the previous round, after defeating Zimbabwe 2-1 in the opening match and beating South Africa 1-0 in the second round. Egypt finished top of the group with seven points, while Angola exited the tournament after collecting just two points from a 1-1 draw with Zimbabwe in the second round and a 2-1 defeat to South Africa in the opening match.
Egypt’s Line-up Against Angola
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan fielded a largely rotated squad against Angola, giving several players the opportunity to feature. Mustafa Shobeir started in goal, with Khaled Sobhi, Hossam Abdelmageed, Ahmed Eid, Mohamed Ismail, Ahmed Fattouh, Mohanad Lasheen, Mahmoud Saber, Ibrahim Adel, Salah Mohsen, and Mostafa Mohamed completing the starting XI.
Match Overview
With qualification already assured, Egypt delivered a moderate performance, as both sides shared possession during the first half with limited goalmouth action. The clearest chance for Egypt came when Hossam Abdelmageed’s header sailed just over the crossbar following an acrobatic backheel assist from Mostafa Mohamed.
Angola responded with a shot from Mabululu that was comfortably saved by Mustafa Shobeir, while a long-range effort from Zamalek winger Chico Banza drifted wide of the post. The first half ended goalless.
At the start of the second half, Hossam Hassan made three substitutions, introducing Yasser Ibrahim, Mostafa Fathi, and Ahmed Sayed “Zizo” in place of Mohamed Ismail, Mostafa Mohamed, and Mahmoud Saber. The changes improved Egypt’s performance, with Zizo, Ibrahim Adel, and Mostafa Fathi providing greater movement and attacking threat.
Zizo fired a powerful shot that was saved by the Angolan goalkeeper and later missed a clear scoring opportunity after a precise pass from Ibrahim Adel, as an Angolan defender intervened at the last moment before he could slot the ball home. On the other end, Angola nearly snatched a late goal when a fierce strike from Verde struck the outside of the post.
Hossam Hassan then made a fourth substitution, bringing on Mohamed Shehata to replace the injured Mohanad Lasheen. Angola attempted to increase pressure on Egypt’s defense in search of a goal to revive their qualification hopes, but their efforts proved unsuccessful. The match ended in a goalless draw, confirming Egypt’s dominance at the top of Group B.
As group winners, Egypt will face one of the third-placed teams from Groups A, C, or D in the round of 16.
Hossam Hassan’s Remarks
Following the match, Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan said the Angola game was a valuable opportunity to give several players a chance to gain experience at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Hassan noted that Egypt achieved positive results across all three group-stage matches, adding that resting several key players was necessary due to the short recovery time between the South Africa and Angola fixtures.
He stressed that Egypt are fully prepared to face any opponent in the round of 16, highlighting that the players met expectations by finishing top of the group ahead of South Africa, Angola, and Zimbabwe.
Hassan concluded by saying that the upcoming stage will be more challenging given the strong competition in the tournament, emphasizing that the technical staff will work on addressing weaknesses in the coming matches. He also expressed full satisfaction with the performances of players appearing in the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time.
Commenting on the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) decision to hold the Africa Cup of Nations every four years instead of two, Hossam Hassan said he believes the tournament should continue to be staged biennially rather than every four years.
Egypt Face Angola in Group Stage Finale of AFCON 2025 in Morocco
