Aliou Cisse will face Egypt again when his Angola side meet the Pharaohs in the opening round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Friday, with the Senegalese coach having a history of important victories against his opponents.
Egypt return to competitive action after their appearance at the 2026 World Cup, where they reached the round of 16. Their first assignment since the tournament will come against Angola, whose team is now managed by Cisse.
The Senegalese coach took charge of Angola after his previous spell as manager of the Libyan national team ended unsuccessfully.
Cisse has already experienced significant moments against Egypt during his coaching career, most notably when he guided Senegal to the Africa Cup of Nations title in 2021.
Senegal defeated Egypt in the final after the match finished 0-0 following extra time. The West African side eventually won 4-2 on penalties, giving Cisse his biggest achievement as a coach and denying Egypt the continental title.
The two sides met again in the African play-off for the 2022 World Cup, with Cisse once more coming out on top.
Egypt recorded a narrow 1-0 victory over Senegal in Cairo in the first leg on 25 March 2022. However, Senegal produced the same scoreline in the return match, forcing the tie to be decided by penalties.
Cisse’s Senegal again prevailed from the spot, securing qualification for the World Cup and another victory over Egypt.
His record against Egypt therefore includes two major encounters in which his Senegal side ultimately progressed, despite losing the first leg of the 2022 World Cup play-off.
Cisse’s history with Egypt extends further back to his playing days.
The former Senegal international faced the Egyptian national team twice during the qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup.
The first meeting ended goalless, while Egypt won the return fixture 1-0, meaning Senegal suffered defeat in the second encounter.
Cisse therefore enters Friday’s match with experience of facing Egypt both as a player and a coach. His previous meetings with the Pharaohs include the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations final and the 2022 World Cup play-off, when his Senegal side secured victories after closely contested matches.
Now, as Angola’s coach, Cisse will attempt to guide another team against Egypt when the two sides begin their campaign in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
