By SCM SPORT REPORTER in
Agadir, Morocco
THE PHARAOHS checked into the knockouts with a yawn last night as they sleepwalked through a 0-0 stalemate against Angola.
In a clash that had all the spark of a wet firework, Egypt secured the point they needed to top Group B, but they did it while looking more interested in the nearby Atlantic surf than the back of the net.
The real star of the show wasn’t Mo Salah—who spent the entire evening parked on the bench like a tourist—but the Grand Stade d’Agadir. Perched on the edge of Morocco’s famous sun-drenched resort city, the 45,000-seater stadium provided a world-class stage for what turned out to be a Sunday league-standard spectacle.
With its dramatic white columns rising out of the coastal landscape like a modern fortress, the stadium deserved a goal-fest. Instead, it got a tactical chess match that left the travelling fans reaching for their sunscreen rather than their scarves.
Angola, the Palancas Negras, threw everything they had at the Egyptian wall, desperate for a win to keep their AFCON dreams alive. The Agadir atmosphere crackled when Fredy rattled the woodwork with a fizzing second-half free-kick that had the stadium rocking.
But even with the backing of the Agadir locals, Angola couldn’t find the killer touch.
The Egyptian second-stringers, resting their stars for the business end of the tournament, were happy to let the clock tick down under the bright Moroccan lights.
The “Adrar” (Mountain) stadium, named after the nearby Atlas range, saw little climbing from either side as the game fizzled out into a drab draw.
The result sends Egypt through as group winners, while a heartbroken Angola are left praying for a miracle from the “best third-place” calculator to stay in the hunt.
For the fans who flocked to the beach-side venue, the sunset over the Atlantic was the highlight of the day. On this evidence, the Pharaohs will need to find their groove—and their goals—if they want to be back in Rabat for the final.
