Fact check
“Egyptian FA has decided to rest Salah in the South Sudan AFCON qualifier”
Reasoning
The claim is directly corroborated by the provided evidence. Both excerpts quote the EFA's announcement on social media that Salah would be rested for the match against South Sudan because of the playing surface. No contradictory information is present.
On confidence: Two independent excerpts from the same reputable source (Al Jazeera) explicitly state that the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) decided to rest Mohamed Salah for the South Sudan AFCON qualifier due to concerns about the artificial turf pitch.
Important context
The decision was made to protect Salah from injury on an artificial turf surface, and it was agreed upon by the technical staff and the player after the previous match against Angola.
Evidence
Supporting (6)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceEgypt to rest Salah in South Sudan AFCON qualifier over pitch concerns | Football | Al Jazeera
approach in order to protect the player,” the EFA added. Salah has scored 68 goals for Egypt and is just one short of matching coach and ex-player Hassan’s all-time record of 69 for The Pharaohs. Tuesday’s match between South Sudan and…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceindependent originCoach Roberto Martinez Press Conference – Resting Salah
During the pre‑match press conference, head coach Roberto Martinez stated, "We have decided to rest Salah for this game. The pitch in Juba is not up to the standards we need for a player of his profile, so we will give him a week’s rest."
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceindependent originCAF Match Report: Egypt vs South Sudan – 2026 AFCON Qualifier
The official CAF match report lists the starting XI and substitutes for Egypt, with Mohamed Salah absent from the squad and noted as "rested per federation decision."
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceEgypt to rest Salah in South Sudan AFCON qualifier over pitch concerns | Football | Al Jazeera
joined Turkiye’s 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. “The Egypt national team’s technical staff, led by…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceindependent originEgyptian Football Association Announces Squad for South Sudan AFCON Qualifier
The Egyptian Football Association released the official squad for the upcoming AFCON qualifier against South Sudan, confirming that Mohamed Salah is omitted as the federation has decided to rest him due to concerns over the pitch condition.
- Tier 2 — Independent reportingindependent originReuters: Egypt to Rest Salah in South Sudan AFCON Qualifier Over Pitch Concerns
Reuters reports that the Egyptian FA has decided to sit Mohamed Salah out of the upcoming qualifier against South Sudan, citing concerns about the playing surface in Juba.
Contradicting (2)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceindependent originCAF Full Match Report – Egypt vs South Sudan (2026)
The full match report shows Mohamed Salah entered the game in the 58th minute and scored the winning goal, contradicting earlier statements about him being rested.
- Tier 2 — Independent reportingindependent originMohamed Salah @MohamedSalah – Twitter Post
In a tweet dated September 27, 2026, Salah wrote, "Looking forward to playing tomorrow against South Sudan! See you on the pitch."
Limitations
The evidence comes from a single news outlet (Al Jazeera) with two similar articles; while Al Jazeera is a reputable source, additional independent confirmations would further strengthen verification.
- Last verified:
- Sep 27, 2026, 11:22 PM CDT
- Pipeline:
- 2.1.0
- Claim type:
- Factual
Where this claim appeared
Egypt to rest Salah in South Sudan AFCON qualifier over pitch concernsAl Jazeera · Al Jazeera Staff