Mohamed Salah will miss Egypt's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Sudan on Tuesday due to injury prevention measures related to the match venue's playing surface. The Trabzonspor forward has not traveled with the national squad for their fixture at Juba Stadium, where concerns over the artificial pitch led Egyptian Football Association (EFA) officials to make the precautionary decision. This strategic absence marks a calculated risk by Egypt's technical staff to preserve the 34-year-old star ahead of more critical fixtures in their continental qualifying campaign.
The EFA confirmed the decision through an official statement, revealing that the plan had been coordinated well in advance of Egypt's qualifying campaign. According to the association, head coach Hossam Hassan and his technical staff agreed with Salah prior to Friday's match against Angola that the forward would be rested for the South Sudan encounter specifically because of the astroturf surface. The statement emphasized: "The Egypt national team's technical staff, led by Hossam Hassan, has decided to rest Mohamed Salah for the match against South Sudan scheduled for 29 September because of the playing surface. 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." Salah had started Friday's goalless draw against Angola as Egypt began their qualifying push, demonstrating his availability and fitness.
Salah's absence represents a notable omission from Egypt's squad, given his stature within the national team setup. Since making his international debut in 2011, the versatile attacker has amassed an impressive 68 goals across 120 appearances for the Pharaohs and has served as captain since 2019. He featured in this summer's World Cup as part of his continued commitment to the national side. Egypt will pursue Salah's return for their friendly against South Africa on October 4, maintaining his involvement in the broader qualifying cycle that also includes matches against Malawi alongside the South Sudan and Angola fixtures.
The decision underscores Egypt's ambitions heading into next summer's Africa Cup of Nations in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, where they aim to capture a record-extending eighth continental title. Though Egypt has not won the tournament since 2010, Salah remains central to their hopes despite previous disappointments, including final defeats in 2017 and 2021. Meanwhile, his club form at Trabzonspor has been exceptional since joining the Turkish side in August following his departure from Liverpool after nine years in the Premier League. The Egyptian has already contributed seven goals and two assists in six league appearances, including a hat-trick against Galatasaray, making the protective approach to his fitness all the more strategic as Egypt navigates their qualifying pathway.