The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced on Saturday that Mohamed Salah will not travel with the national squad to South Sudan for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. The decision stems from concerns over the artificial turf surface at Juba Stadium, where the match is scheduled to take place on September 29.
Seven-time champions Egypt recently opened their qualification campaign with a goalless draw against Angola at the Cairo International Stadium on Friday. Although Salah, who recently joined Turkish club Trabzonspor from Liverpool, started that fixture, he was substituted midway through the second half by coach Hossam Hassan.
In a statement released via social media, the EFA confirmed that the technical staff, led by Hassan, opted to rest the star forward to protect him from the increased injury risks associated with artificial pitches. The association noted that this arrangement was agreed upon between the player and the coaching team prior to the Angola match.
Salah currently sits just one goal away from equaling Hassan’s all-time scoring record for Egypt, standing at 68 international goals. The upcoming qualifier is part of Group B in the AFCON 2027 qualifying stages, which also includes Angola, South Sudan, and Malawi. The 2027 tournament, set to feature 24 teams, will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. Despite being the most successful nation in the competition’s history, Egypt has not lifted the trophy since 2010.
Sixty-eight goals and one away from the record, yet he misses this qualifier? The EFA prioritizing health is responsible, but let us know the timeline.
Trabzonspor adaptation must be tough. Hopefully, the medical team is being overly cautious here and he recovers fully before the next match.
I never understood why top players avoid artificial turf so much. Seems like an excuse to skip a tougher away game against South Sudan.
Great news for Salah’s longevity, but bad timing. Resting him now feels risky given his goal tally chasing record.