With a "racism" gesture: Aliou Cissé provokes the fans on the night Egypt stumbled into Angola's trap
A goalless draw in Cairo
Egypt kicked off their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a disappointing goalless draw against Angola at Cairo International Stadium. The Pharaohs threw away two precious points on home soil, in front of their own supporters.
They dominated the ball but could not find a way through. Angola sat deep and stayed compact, and Egypt's night boiled over with contentious technical decisions and rising tension on the touchline.
The referee chalked off what looked like the opener for the Pharaohs. Mostafa "Zizo" found the net after pouncing on one of Egypt's dangerous attacks, only for the official to rule it out for offside in the build-up. After reviewing the player's position at the moment the ball was played, the referee denied Egypt the lead.
Then came the shock. On 60 minutes, the technical staff hauled off captain Mohamed Salah and sent on Ahmed Sayed Zizo in his place, hoping to breathe life into the attack.
That was not the end of it. The staff also introduced promising young forward Hamza Abdelkarim for Haitham Hassan, injecting fresh legs up front in search of a winner that never arrived.
The most striking moment: Cissé imitates Hossam Hassan
One moment lit up social media, and its protagonist was Angola head coach Aliou Cissé.
The Senegalese sparked plenty of controversy from the bench when he mimicked the famous gesture Egypt boss Hossam Hassan had made during the clash with Argentina at the 2026 World Cup.
Cissé raised his arms in a crossed shape in front of the referee, an exact copy of the gesture El Captain produced after Argentina were awarded their third goal in the 3-2 defeat for the Pharaohs in the World Cup round of 16. Many read it as a deliberate dig at the Egyptian technical staff and the fans inside Cairo Stadium.
An early Malawi lead
The dropped points cost Egypt dear at the start of the campaign, handing Malawi the chance to sit alone at the summit of the group.
Here is how the group looked after the first round. Malawi led the way on 3 points after their 2-1 win, while Angola and Egypt shared second with a point apiece following their goalless draw. South Sudan propped up the table with no points after losing their opener.
