Forward Mohamed Salah will not travel with the Egyptian national team for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against South Sudan, the Egyptian Football Association announced on Saturday. The decision was reached to shield the forward from competing on an artificial playing surface, which presents elevated risks of physical injury. The match is scheduled to take place on September 29.
The technical management chose caution over immediate selection.
Egypt, who hold a record seven continental titles, began their qualifying campaign on Friday with a scoreless draw against Angola at the Cairo International Stadium. Salah started the opening fixture but was withdrawn midway through the second half by head coach Hossam Hassan. The two-time African Footballer of the Year completed a transfer from Liverpool to Turkish side Trabzonspor last month, and team doctors have prioritized managing his workload across international fixtures.
The governing body confirmed on social media channels that Hassan and his staff formally opted to rest the forward following internal discussions. Officials revealed that an understanding had already been established with Salah prior to the Angola encounter, ensuring that he would not participate on the synthetic surface. The federation emphasized that the measure was introduced entirely to protect the player from undue strain.
The Pharaohs now regroup to contest their second group match without their talismanic captain. Hassan`s tactical staff will rely on alternative attacking options as they pursue their first victory of the qualifying campaign.
