Egypt's Salah ruled out of South Sudan qualifier due to artificial surface

Mohamed Salah will not travel with Egypt's squad to South Sudan for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, due to the match being played on an artificial turf pitch, according to the Egyptian Football Association (EFA). Salah, who recently transferred from Liverpool to Trabzonspor in Turkey, started against Angola in Egypt's opening qualifier but was substituted midway through the second half.

The technical staff, led by coach Hossam Hassan, decided to rest Salah for the South Sudan match scheduled for September 29, in order to protect the player. It was previously agreed between the national team's technical staff and Salah that he would not play against South Sudan. The match between South Sudan and Egypt will take place at Juba Stadium, which features an artificial turf surface.