Egypt held by Angola as Aliou Cisse gesture sparks controversy in AFCON 2027 qualifier

Egypt began their qualifying campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations with a disappointing goalless draw against Angola at Cairo International Stadium.

The Pharaohs dominated possession and controlled much of the match, but could not break through an organised Angola defence. The result means Egypt dropped two valuable points at home in a match marked by contentious decisions and mounting tension on the touchline.

Egypt thought they had taken the lead when Mostafa “Zizo” found the net after benefiting from a dangerous attack. However, the referee ruled out the goal for offside during the build-up.

The decision was made after the officials reviewed the player’s position at the moment the ball was played, denying Egypt the opening goal.

On 60 minutes, the Egypt technical staff made the surprise decision to withdraw captain Mohamed Salah and replace him with Ahmed Sayed Zizo in an attempt to add greater energy to the attack.

A further change followed as promising young forward Hamza Abdelkarim came on for Haitham Hassan. The alterations were intended to provide fresh attacking impetus, but Egypt were unable to find the winning goal.

Cisse gesture draws attention

The most striking incident of the evening came from Aliou Cisse, Angola’s head coach, while he was in the technical area.

Cisse appeared to imitate a gesture previously made by Egypt manager Hossam Hassan during the Pharaohs’ match against Argentina at the 2026 World Cup.

The Senegalese coach was shown raising his arms crossed in front of the referee. The movement closely resembled the gesture made by Hassan after Argentina were awarded their third goal in a match they won 3-2 in the World Cup last 16.

The action was viewed by many as a deliberate provocation aimed at Egypt’s coaching staff and the supporters inside Cairo International Stadium.

A post on social media described the gesture as FIFA’s official anti-racism sign and said Cisse appeared to activate the protocol before half-time, with the match continuing amid intense scenes. The post was published by Micky Jnr on 25 September 2026.

Malawi lead the group

Egypt’s failure to win gives Malawi the opportunity to establish an early lead in the group.

After the opening round of matches, Malawi sit top with three points following a 2-1 victory. Angola and Egypt share second place on one point apiece after their goalless draw, while South Sudan are bottom without a point after losing their opening fixture.