A heavily rotated Egyptian side entered the game knowing progression into the round of 16 was already secured, but for Angola, everything was on the line.
They ought to have been behind midway through the first half when an overhead kick from Mostafa Mohamed landed on the head of Hossam Abdelmaguid, whose header was wide of the upright.
Angola had their own chances, though, most notably via Chico Banza, who broke in behind the much-changed Egypt defence, but could only watch as his shot trickled past the post.
After the restart, Angola upped the ante in search of the three points that would put them into contention for qualification. The Diabos Vermelhos were left up in arms at the referee when Banza looked like he was fouled inside the penalty area by Egypt’s Ahmed Eid, but the official waved away any complaints.
And they came even closer when Fredy’s free-kick clattered the woodwork, with goalkeeper Oufa Shobeir left stranded.
The missed opportunities appeared to dampen Angola’s ambition, but substitute M'Bala Nzola almost sent the entire nation into raptures with a rare foray forward, only to find the side netting with a stinging effort that marked their last genuine opportunity.
While it isn’t impossible for Angola to progress, a tally of two points from three matches means the most likely outcome will be a fourth group stage exit from the previous five AFCON tournaments.
As Group B winners, Egypt have no such worries, and after resting their big-hitters, they’ll have all eyes on the upcoming knockouts.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Chico Banza (Angola)
