Egypt to rest Salah in South Sudan AFCON qualifier over pitch concerns

What the report says

Egypt will leave Mohamed Salah out of its squad for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Sudan because the match will be played on artificial turf, according to the Egyptian Football Association, as reported by Al Jazeera on 26 September 2026. The decision is meant to reduce the risk of injury to the forward, who is a key figure for both Egypt and his club side Trabzonspor.

Al Jazeera reported that the move had been agreed before Egypt’s opening qualifier against Angola, where Salah started but was later substituted during the second half. The South Sudan match is scheduled for 29 September at Juba Stadium, a venue with an artificial surface. The Egyptian staff said it preferred to rest the player as a precaution.

The absence comes after Egypt began its Group B campaign with a goalless draw against Angola in Cairo. Egypt is the most successful nation in African Cup of Nations history, but it has not won the tournament since 2010.

Salah has scored 68 goals for Egypt, leaving him one shy of coach Hossam Hassan’s national record of 69. The wider context is that artificial turf is often viewed as tougher on players than natural grass, which is why teams sometimes manage workload more carefully when such surfaces are involved.