Egypt have finished top of Group B at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after playing out a goalless draw with Angola in their final group-stage fixture, ending the phase with seven points.
The Pharaohs went into the encounter having already secured qualification following back-to-back wins in their opening two matches.
With progression assured, head coach Hossam Hassan chose to rest several key players, leaving the likes of Mohamed Salah, Trezeguet and Omar Marmoush on the bench as he fielded a largely reshaped starting line-up.
Despite the changes, Egypt remained solid in the first half and successfully kept Angola at bay, going into the break with the scores level. After the restart, the introduction of Zizo added more attacking intent to Egypt’s play, and the North Africans came close to breaking the deadlock on a few occasions.
Angola enjoyed the majority of possession and produced some attractive passages of play, but they found it difficult to penetrate Egypt’s disciplined and well-organised defence. The intensity increased in the final 20 minutes as Angola pushed forward in search of a decisive goal, yet the Pharaohs held firm to preserve the stalemate.
The result confirmed Egypt as Group B winners with seven points, while the draw proved costly for Angola, who were eliminated from the tournament. In the same group, South Africa finished second on six points and also progressed to the knockout stage.
