In a decision that has drawn attention across African football circles, the Egypt men’s national football team has excluded star forward Mohamed Salah from its upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match against South Sudan, with the artificial turf playing surface at the host venue cited as the core reason. The 34-year-old, who recently ended a storied nine-year tenure at Liverpool to join Turkey’s Trabzonspor, did not travel with the Egyptian squad to Juba, South Sudan’s capital, ahead of Tuesday’s fixture.
Salah did feature for Egypt in their most recent international outing, a goalless friendly draw against Angola held in Cairo on Friday. The winger started that match — Egypt’s first contest since the team advanced to the round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the summer — but was substituted off by head coach Hossam Hassan after 60 minutes of play.
In an official statement confirming Salah’s omission, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) clarified that the decision to rest the star forward was reached jointly between the national team technical staff, led by Hassan, and Salah himself, with the agreement struck before the Angola fixture. The federation noted that the coaching staff prioritized this precautionary measure to protect the in-form player from potential harm, writing: “The Egypt national team’s technical staff… has decided to rest Mohamed Salah for the match against South Sudan scheduled for 29 September because of the playing surface… the technical staff preferred this approach in order to protect the player.”
Artificial turf has long been associated with a common public perception that it carries a higher risk of player injury compared to natural grass, even as modern manufacturing and design technologies have greatly improved the quality and safety of synthetic surfaces. Notably, multiple independent studies have found no conclusive empirical evidence to support the claim that artificial playing surfaces increase injury rates for football players.
Salah’s departure from Liverpool this past summer marked the end of an era for the Premier League club. Across nine seasons, he made 442 first-team appearances, scored 257 goals, and helped the club claim nine major honors, including multiple Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League crown. Since making the move to Trabzonspor, the Egyptian star has shown no signs of slowing down: in just six Turkish Super Lig matches so far this campaign, he has notched seven goals and provided two assists for his new club, cementing his status as one of the most impactful attacking players in the game. The decision to rest him for the upcoming qualifier underscores the priority both the national federation and Trabzonspor place on keeping the forward fit for the full season ahead.