Mohamed Salah is expected to return to the Egypt national team for the upcoming friendly against South Africa after coach Hossam Hassan confirmed that the deci...
Mohamed Salah is expected to return to the Egypt national team for the upcoming friendly against South Africa after coach Hossam Hassan confirmed that the decision to rest the forward for the South Sudan match had been agreed with the player.
Salah was left out of Egypt’s squad for Tuesday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Sudan because the match is being played on an artificial turf surface in Juba.
Hassan said on Monday that Salah had discussed the issue with him before Egypt’s opening qualifier against Angola and that both sides agreed he would not play in Juba.
“We decided to rest Salah because of the artificial pitch. He had discussed the matter with me before the Angola match, and we agreed on it,” Hassan said.
The coach also rejected speculation that there was a dispute between himself and the 34-year-old forward following Salah’s substitution during Egypt’s goalless draw with Angola on September 25.
Salah started the match in Cairo but was substituted in the second half. He subsequently left the national team camp before Egypt travelled to South Sudan, prompting reports of tension between the player and the coach.
The Egyptian Football Association later said Salah’s absence from the South Sudan fixture had been agreed in advance and was intended to protect the player from playing on the artificial surface.
Hassan said Salah remained an important part of his plans and that the national team needed him for its upcoming matches.
“I respect all players, especially Mohamed Salah. He is a crucial, influential, and fundamental element,” Hassan said, adding that the player’s well-being was a priority.
Egypt are scheduled to face South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in a friendly at Cairo International Stadium on October 4, 2026. The fixture was confirmed by the South African Football Association in September.
Hassan is therefore expected to have Salah available for the South Africa match, although the final team selection and playing time will be determined by the technical staff.
The friendly will come after Egypt’s opening 2027 AFCON qualifying matches against Angola and South Sudan. Egypt are in Group B alongside Angola, South Sudan and Malawi.
The Pharaohs drew 0-0 with Angola in their opening qualifier and travelled to Juba for the second match on September 29. Egypt are seeking points early in the qualifying campaign as they target qualification for the 2027 AFCON tournament, which will be hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
South Africa, meanwhile, will use the Cairo friendly as part of their international programme. The match is scheduled to take place four days after the end of Egypt’s September AFCON qualifying fixtures.
Salah recently moved from Liverpool to Turkish club Trabzonspor and remains one of Egypt’s key attacking players. His inclusion in the squad for the South Africa friendly would give Bafana Bafana another opportunity to face one of Africa’s most prominent forwards.
For now, the Egyptian camp has sought to draw a line under speculation surrounding Salah’s absence from the South Sudan fixture, with Hassan saying the decision was made jointly with the player rather than being a disciplinary measure.
