Senegalese coach Aliou Cissé denied winning start as Angola concede late against Mauritania

Senegalese coach Aliou Cissé was left frustrated in his first match in charge of Angola after Mauritania scored a stoppage-time equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw in an international friendly played in Casablanca on Friday night.

Cissé, who took over as Angola head coach two months ago following his departure from Libya, appeared set to mark his debut with a victory before a dramatic twist in the closing moments denied the Palancas Negras a winning start.

Angola looked on course to claim the result after Keliano broke the deadlock in the 86th minute. The late strike seemed enough to separate the two sides in a tightly contested encounter and hand Cissé his first triumph on the bench.

However, Mauritania refused to surrender and continued to push forward in search of an equaliser. The Mourabitounes had already threatened on several occasions throughout the match, creating dangerous opportunities and testing Angola’s defence.

Their efforts included an attempt that struck the post, while they also appealed unsuccessfully for a penalty after an incident involving Djeidi Gassama. Despite those missed opportunities, Mauritania maintained their attacking intent until the final whistle.

Just as Angola appeared ready to celebrate victory, Idrissa Thiam delivered the decisive moment in the 91st minute. His late goal rescued a draw for Mauritania and spoiled what would have been a memorable first outing for the former Senegal coach.

Despite the disappointment of conceding so late, the result offered useful insights for Cissé as he continues his early work with the Angolan national team.

The former Africa Cup of Nations-winning coach was overseeing his first training camp with a squad missing several key players. Clinton Mata, Núrio Fortuna, Gelson Dala, Zito Luvumbo and Mbala Nzola were all unavailable, forcing Angola to approach the fixture without some of their most experienced options.

Given those circumstances, the match provided an opportunity for the coaching staff to assess players and begin implementing tactical ideas ahead of future competitive fixtures.

For Mauritania, the draw highlighted the resilience and determination shown by the team. Their refusal to give up was rewarded in the closing seconds, allowing them to leave Casablanca with a positive result.

The Mourabitounes will continue their preparations with another friendly match against Niger on 8 June in Casablanca.

As for Cissé and Angola, attention will now turn to building on the encouraging aspects of the performance and converting promise into victories in the matches ahead.