Mohamed Salah will not travel with â EgyptâÂÂs â squad to South Sudan for their second Africa Cup of Nations qualifier because the â match will be played on artificial turf, the Egyptian Football Association said â on Saturday.
Record seven-time AFCON champions Egypt were held to a goalless draw by Angola at Cairo International Stadium on Friday in their opening qualifier.
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Two-time African Footballer of the Year, Salah, who âÂÂjoined TurkiyeâÂÂs Trabzonspor from Liverpool last month, started against Angola but did not complete the match after coach Hossam Hassan substituted him midway through the second half.
âÂÂThe Egypt national teamâÂÂs technical staff, led by Hossam Hassan, has â decided to rest Mohamed Salah â for the match against South Sudan scheduled for September 29 because of the playing surface,â the EFA said on social â media.
âÂÂIt was agreed between the national teamâÂÂs technical staff and â Mohamed Salah before the Angola â match that he would not play against South Sudan, and the technical staff preferred this approach in order to âÂÂprotect the player,â the EFA added.
Salah has scored 68 goals for Egypt and is just one short of matching coach and ex-player HassanâÂÂs all-time record of 69 for The Pharaohs.
TuesdayâÂÂs match between South Sudan and Egypt will be played âÂÂat âÂÂJuba Stadium, which has an artificial turf pitch. Such surfaces pose a higher risk of injuries than those with natural grass.
Egypt are in Group B of the AFCON 2027 qualifiers, alongside Angola, South Sudan and Malawi. The 2027 AFCON will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, featuring 24 teams.
Though Egypt are the most successful African side, they havenâÂÂt won the championship since 2010.