Zico says Egypt’s draw with Angola was ‘not satisfactory’

Mustafa Abdel Raouf “Zico” says Egypt were disappointed to draw 0-0 with Angola in their opening match of the qualifiers.

The two sides shared the points in Group B after Egypt were unable to turn their pressure into a winning goal.

“The result is not satisfactory, and we had hoped to win against Angola,” Zico told beIN Sports. “But that is football, and a draw is always possible.”

Zico thought he had put Egypt ahead in the 22nd minute, but the referee ruled out his goal for offside. Egypt continued to push forward after that, while Angola relied on occasional attempts from outside the penalty area.

“We had possession of the ball for most of the match, scored a goal that was not allowed and missed more than one chance,” added Zico. “God willing, we will make up for it in the match against South Sudan in a few days.”

The result leaves both Egypt and Angola with one point from their first Group B fixture.

Zico expects another difficult test when Egypt face South Sudan, but believes the team can respond positively with the backing of their supporters.

“A difficult match against South Sudan awaits us, but we are confident that we can achieve a positive result and make the Egyptian people happy,” he said. “They always support us and stand behind the Egypt national team. I ask them to continue supporting us.”

Malawi lead Group B after opening their campaign with a 2-1 victory over South Sudan.