2027 AFCON: Salah and Egypt held scoreless in Cairo, Angola secures 0-0 draw

Egypt made a disappointing start to their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign: the Pharaohs were held to a 0-0 draw by Angola on Friday, September 25, 2026, at the Cairo International Stadium during the first matchday of Group B.

Hossam Hassan's men dominated the encounter. According to Ahram Online, they held 63% of ball possession and attempted 14 shots, three of which were on target, compared to 10 shots and two on target for the Palancas Negras.

A disallowed goal for Ziko

The Angolans were the first to threaten: in the 7th minute, Mabululu capitalized on a mistake by Mohanad Lasheen but sent his strike over the bar, according to the website KingFut. For the Egyptians, Mahmoud Saber missed the best chance of the half by shooting wide in the 17th minute after a pass from Emam Ashour.

Captain Mohamed Salah then saw his strike pushed away by Angolan goalkeeper Hugo in the 21st minute. A minute later, Mostafa Ziko thought he had opened the scoring, but his goal was disallowed for offside by referee Peter Waweru. Before the break, Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir had to work hard to preserve the draw.

Salah substituted

In the second half, Hossam Hassan tried to revitalize his attack by taking off Mohamed Salah for Ahmed "Zizo" Sayed, and Haissem Hassan for Hamza Abdelkarim. It was to no avail: the Angolan defensive block held firm until the end.

The scenario is reminiscent of the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, where the two teams had already played out a 0-0 draw in the group stage. Egypt, seven-time African champions, have still never lost to Angola, notes KingFut. For the Angolans, this point earned in Cairo is a fine reward for their collective discipline.

Trip to Juba

The Pharaohs will have little time to dwell on the result: they will travel to Juba, South Sudan, on September 29, 2026, for the second matchday. They will then host South Africa in a friendly match in Cairo on October 4, 2026.