Mohamed Salah will sit out Egypt’s trip to Juba for Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Sudan, with the Pharaohs refusing to risk their captain on an artificial pitch.
Main photo: Bryan Berlin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Egyptian Football Association confirmed on Saturday that the forward will not travel with the squad. The federation said head coach Hossam Hassan and his staff had settled the matter with Salah before Friday’s opening qualifier, and that the decision was taken to protect the player.
The match at Juba Stadium on 29 September will be played on synthetic turf, a surface many clubs and players regard as carrying a greater risk of injury than natural grass.
A frustrating start for the record champions
The news follows a flat opening to Egypt’s campaign. The seven-time continental champions were held 0-0 by Angola at Cairo International Stadium on Friday night. Salah started but was withdrawn midway through the second half.
Egypt sit in Group B of qualifying for AFCON 2027 alongside Angola, South Sudan and Malawi. Despite being Africa’s most decorated side, they have not lifted the trophy since 2010, and dropped points at home will add pressure on the trip to Juba.
Record still within reach
Salah, a two-time African Footballer of the Year who moved from Liverpool to Turkish club Trabzonspor last month, has 68 international goals. That leaves him one short of the national record of 69, held by Hassan himself, the coach now managing his minutes. The record chase will have to wait for the next international window.
Readers following his post-Anfield chapter can revisit our earlier analysis, Life after Salah: why Isak and Wirtz must step up for Liverpool.
Why it matters
The row over artificial pitches is a familiar one across African football, where many national stadiums still lack the resources to maintain top-grade grass. For South Sudan, one of the continent’s youngest football nations, hosting Egypt in Juba is a landmark occasion, even without the biggest star in African football on the pitch.
AFCON 2027 will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, with 24 teams set to take part.
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