Egypt will try to get its first win of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers when it takes on South Sudan next Tuesday, but it will have to do so without the help of captain and talisman Mohamed Salah, who won’t even make the trip with the rest of the squad.
Spirits are high following a historic 2026 World Cup campaign in which Salah helped Egypt secure its maiden tournament win, won a knockout game and pushed defending champion Argentina to the absolute limit.
But the 2026 World Cup is in the rearview mirror and Egypt got off to a slow start in its AFCON qualifier journey, settling for a scoreless draw at home against Angola in which Salah was contained during his hour-long cameo.
Victory against South Sudan is imperative for Egypt, but Salah will take the night off for a surprising decision taken between the player, the manager and the soccer federation.
Why Mohamed Salah Will Skip Egypt’s Next Match
Salah will miss Egypt’s away clash against South Sudan because the action will take place on the artificial turf at Juba Stadium in the country’s capital.
“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 Sept. 29 because of the stadium’s ‘Turf’ (artificial) playing surface,” the Egypt football federation said in a statement, via The Athletic.
“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.”
Players across various sports have long made their negative feelings towards artificial turf known, with athletes emphatically favoring natural grass surfaces. The issue came to the fore this summer when eight of the 16 World Cup host stadiums in North America had to replace turf for natural grass in order to stage games.
When Lionel Messi arrived in MLS back in 2023, he sat out a game at Atlanta United’s turf-surfaced Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Although Messi later stated he had no problem playing on turf and he’s since played multiple games on that surface, other stars such as Didier Drogba and Zlatan Ibrahimović sat out games for that very reason, pointing towards a higher chance of injury.
At 34, Egypt is prioritizing Salah’s fitness and won’t take any risks—even if there’s no scientific evidence of higher risk of injury. Still, Egypt seems keen on protecting its talisman for what’s to come.
Egypt Need Mohamed Salah, Who’s Started the Season on Fire
It’s clear Egypt want to protect Salah given he’s looking back to his best level with Trabzonspor after a difficult final season with Liverpool.
The legendary winger is enjoying life in Türkiye, bagging seven goals and two assists in his first eight appearances for his new club. Salah scored a hat-trick and collected an assist when Trabzonspor defeated reigning league champions Galatasaray 4–0 in their last game before the international break.
Although he was quiet against Angola, Salah remains essential to Egypt’s success, as he proved during the 2026 World Cup. Keeping him out of the game against South Sudan is undoubtedly a conservative decision, but Egypt is still heavily favored to collect three points. The call will certainly come under fire if victory isn’t secured.
Regardless of what transpires in Tuesday’s match, Salah is expected to feature for Egypt again when it hosts South Africa in a friendly match on Saturday, Oct. 4 to conclude the team’s September-October camp.
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