Egypt has excluded Mohamed Salah from their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Sudan on 29 September because the match will be played on an artificial pitch. The decision was agreed between the player and Egypt's technical staff before their Friday match against Angola, with the intention of protecting the 34-year-old from potential injury risks associated with synthetic surfaces.

Salah, who recently joined Turkish club Trabzonspor after nine years at Liverpool, started Egypt's goalless draw with Angola but was substituted after an hour. Although there is a widespread perception that artificial pitches carry an elevated injury risk, scientific studies have found no evidence supporting this claim. The former Liverpool forward has performed well for Trabzonspor this season, scoring seven goals and providing two assists in six Super Lig matches.