Zico: Luck was not on our side against Angola... There is no option but to win against South Sudan.
Mustafa Ziko, the Egyptian national team player, expressed his deep sadness after the goalless draw against Angola at Cairo Stadium, explaining that luck was not on their side during the match.
Ziko said in post-match television comments: "I apologize to the Egyptian fans for this draw. We wanted to bring joy to their hearts, but no team can win all the time. We have a match next Tuesday against South Sudan, and the conditions will be tough, both in terms of the pitch and the temperatures, but we must win to compensate for our draw against Angola."
Egypt National Team Stumbles Against Angola
The Egypt national team stumbled at the start of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Angola, with the match ending in a goalless draw at Cairo International Stadium.
With this result, the national team earned their first point in Group B, which is topped by Malawi after their victory over South Sudan (2 - 1).
The Egypt team did not deliver the expected performance following their good showing at the 2026 World Cup, as most players appeared below par and failed to threaten Angola's goal.
Despite the efforts of head coach Hossam Hassan to rectify the situation through substitutions, they could not break through Angola's defense led by veteran Aliou Cissé.
Quick Start to the Match from Both Teams
The match began quickly and intensely from both teams, with Mabululu capitalizing on a mistake by Mohannad Lashin in the 7th minute, firing a powerful shot that went over Mustafa Shobair's crossbar, marking the first threat to the Pharaohs' goal.
In the 17th minute, Mahmoud Saber missed a golden opportunity after receiving a brilliant pass from Imam Ashour inside the penalty area, but he shot wide of Angola's goal.
The Kenyan referee disallowed a goal scored by Egypt's Ziko in the 22nd minute for offside.
Egypt threatened Angola's goal multiple times through Mohamed Salah, Mohamed Hani, and Ziko, but failed to score.
Hossam Hassan made his first substitution in the 40th minute, bringing on Omar Marmoush for Mahmoud Saber.
Mustafa Shobair saved his team from a certain goal with a strong save from an Angola player in the 45th minute, ending the first half in a goalless draw.
A Second Half to Forget
At the start of the second half, Egypt sought to score an early goal, but the Angolan team continued to tighten the spaces, prompting Hossam Hassan to make changes by introducing the duo Hamza Abdel Karim and Zizo in the 61st minute, replacing Mohamed Salah and Haitham Hassan.
Hossam Hassan also brought on Ali Mahmoud and Ibrahim Adel in the final minutes in a last-ditch effort to find the net, but Marmoush squandered a chance in the 90th minute to score, and the match ended in a goalless draw.
Egypt's Starting Lineup Against Angola Was as Follows:
