will not travel with to South Sudan for Tuesday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier after the Egyptian Football Association confirmed the captain is being rested.
The 34-year-old started Friday’s 0-0 draw with Angola in Cairo and came off midway through the second half. The federation said the South Sudan call was already agreed before that match, and that coach Hossam Hassan’s staff chose to protect him rather than risk a midweek game on synthetic turf at Juba Stadium.
The EFA posted the explanation on Saturday.
“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 September 29 because of the playing surface,” the association said.
“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,” it added.
Notably, left camp on Saturday morning after the announcement. He recently moved from Liverpool to Trabzonspor and remains Egypt’s main attacking reference after leading the Pharaohs through the 2026 World Cup.
South Sudan vs Egypt will be played at Juba Stadium on an artificial pitch. Players who spend most of their club season on natural grass often feel more load through the calves, hamstrings and joints on a harder, hotter surface. Hassan’s staff framed the rest as injury prevention, not a fitness scare from Friday night.
That distinction matters because Salah was taken off around the hour mark against Angola. Hassan was asked about it immediately after the draw and pushed back on injury talk.
“Salah’s substitution was a technical decision. The player is not injured, and I am responsible for it,” he said.
He also flagged what was coming in Juba.
“There will certainly be difficult circumstances in the match against South Sudan in a few days, but nobody is falling short. We will try to win the coming matches,” Hassan added.
opened their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign with a frustrating night at Cairo International Stadium. The Pharaohs had more of the ball and a first-half effort ruled out, but Angola stayed compact and left with a point. Both sides sit on one point in Group B, which also includes Malawi and South Sudan. Malawi beat South Sudan on the same matchday.
Qualifying runs from September 2026 to March 2027. Forty-eight teams are split into 12 groups, with the top two in each going through to a 24-team finals. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda qualify as hosts but are still playing in the groups. Egypt are expected to progress, yet a scoreless home start means Tuesday’s trip is no longer a free hit.
