CAIRO-(MaraviPost)-Egypt captain Mohamed Salah will miss the Pharaohs’ 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Sudan on September 29 after the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) decided to rest him because the match will be played on an artificial turf pitch.
Reuters reports that Salah will not travel with the Egypt squad to Juba for the Group B encounter, with the Egyptian technical staff opting to protect the forward from the demands of playing on a synthetic surface.
The decision comes shortly after Egypt opened their AFCON qualifying campaign with a goalless draw against Angola at Cairo International Stadium on Friday.
Salah started the match against Angola but was substituted in the 60th minute. Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said after the game that the decision was tactical and confirmed that the Liverpool legend was not injured.
Egypt will now face South Sudan without their captain as they travel to Juba for their second Group B qualifier.
The match is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, at Juba Stadium, where the playing surface is artificial.
Salah had been included in Hassan’s original 24-man squad for the September qualifiers, with Egypt scheduled to play Angola at home before travelling to South Sudan.
Egypt, South Sudan, Angola and Malawi are in Group B of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. The top two teams from the group will qualify for the tournament, which will be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in 2027.
Salah’s absence means Egypt will have to rely on the rest of their attacking options, including Tottenham Hotspur forward Omar Marmoush, as they seek their first victory of the qualifying campaign.
For South Sudan, the match presents an opportunity to collect points at home against one of Africa’s most prominent football nations.
The fixture will also attract attention in Malawi because the Flames are competing in the same AFCON qualifying group.
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