Egypt to rest Salah in South Sudan AFCON qualifier over pitch concerns
Egyptian FA has decided to rest Salah to protect him from playing on artificial turf, which is likelier to cause injury.
Mohamed Salah will not travel with Egypt’s squad to South Sudan for their second Africa Cup of Nations qualifier because the match will be played on artificial turf, the Egyptian Football Association said on Saturday.
Record seven-time AFCON champions Egypt were held to a goalless draw by Angola at Cairo International Stadium on Friday in their opening qualifier.
Two-time African Footballer of the Year, Salah, who joined Turkiye’s Trabzonspor from Liverpool last month, started against Angola but did not complete the match after coach Hossam Hassan substituted him midway through the second half.
“It was agreed between the national team’s technical staff and Mohamed Salah before the Angola match that he would not play against South Sudan, and the technical staff preferred this approach in order to protect the player,” the EFA added.