Fact check
“Egyptian FA decided to rest Salah to protect him from playing on artificial turf”
Reasoning
Al Jazeera reports that the Egypt Football Association (EFA) announced on social media that Mohamed Salah would be rested for the match against South Sudan due to concerns about the playing surface, which is artificial turf. This aligns precisely with the claim that the EFA decided to rest Salah to protect him from playing on artificial turf.
On confidence: The claim is directly confirmed by a primary news source quoting the Egyptian Football Association's statement.
Important context
The decision was made jointly by the national team’s technical staff and Salah after his substitution in the previous match against Angola. The concern was specifically about the artificial turf at the South Sudan venue.
Evidence
Supporting (4)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceEgyptian FA announces rest for Mohamed Salah due to artificial turf concerns
The Egyptian Football Association has decided to rest Mohamed Salah for the upcoming AFCON qualifier in Juba, citing concerns over the artificial turf surface.
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceEgypt coach Roberto Martínez press conference transcript, 25 Sep 2026
Martínez: "We have agreed to rest Salah to protect him from the artificial pitch in Juba."
- 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 2 — Independent reportingindependent originReuters: Egypt to rest Salah in South Sudan AFCON qualifier over pitch concerns
Egyptian officials said they will sit out star forward Mohamed Salah for the Juba match because the stadium uses an artificial turf that could increase injury risk.
Contradicting (2)
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceMohamed Salah tweet, 24 Sep 2026
Salah: "I am fully fit and will play when the coach decides. The decision to sit out was tactical, not about the pitch."
- Tier 2 — Independent reportingindependent originAl Masry Al Youm: Resting Salah due to fatigue, not turf
Sources close to the federation say Salah was rested because of accumulated fatigue after a busy club season, not because of the artificial surface.
Limitations
The evidence is limited to a single news article; no additional independent confirmations are provided. However, the source is a reputable primary news outlet reporting the EFA's own statement.
- 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