Egypt Youth Minister Moves to Calm AFCON Qualifier Tensions Involving Salah

Urgent efforts were made to cool tensions inside Egypt’s national team camp as preparations continue for Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Sudan on Tuesday, 29 September.

Egyptian Youth and Sports Ministry spokesman Mohamed El-Shazli said the Egyptian Minister of Sports, Jouhar Nabil, is working to resolve the disputes surrounding the team, confirming that the minister is actively engaged in settling the current crisis.

According to El-Shazli, the ministry’s intervention includes direct communication with key figures in Egyptian football and the national team setup.

He stated that Jouhar Nabil is in contact with Hany Abou Rida, head of the Egyptian Football Association, as well as the technical staff of the Pharaohs, and has urged all parties to remain calm and focus on the upcoming match against South Sudan.

He added that the minister will meet with all sides after the game in order to restore stability within the camp, and will also continue discussions with Mohamed Salah to address his situation with the coaching staff.

The renewed attention comes after a series of internal problems in recent days, which began with criticism voiced by head coach Hossam Hassan toward goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy and later escalated to Mohamed Salah leaving the national team camp.

In parallel, Egypt’s Football Association announced that Salah would not travel with the squad to South Sudan for the second match of the AFCON qualifiers.

The decision followed Egypt’s opening qualifier against Angola at Cairo International Stadium, which ended in a goalless draw. That result placed Egypt second in Group B behind Malawi, after Malawi defeated South Sudan.

Salah had started the Angola match, but he was substituted midway through the second half. The coaching staff later described the change as “technical reasons,” and Hassan sought to reduce speculation by clarifying the matter ahead of the trip to Juba.

He emphasized that Salah’s absence against South Sudan was not a conflict-driven issue, insisting that the decision had been agreed between them before the Angola game due to concerns over the artificial pitch (major international men’s football tournaments like the FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship are played only on natural grass or hybrid grass pitches).

Hassan said he decided to rest Salah because of the surface and explained that Salah had discussed the issue with him prior to the Angola match.

At the same time, Hassan attempted to present a reconciliatory tone and directly underlined Salah’s importance to Egypt’s campaign.

He told reporters that he respects all players, “especially Mohamed Salah,” describing him as a key pillar of the squad and one of the best players in the world.

Hassan also stressed that the well-being of every player is his top priority, and said he has confidence in the rest of the team ahead of the upcoming fixtures.

With Egypt entering Group B in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers alongside South Sudan, Angola, and Malawi, the match against South Sudan is a key opportunity for the Pharaohs to secure their first win of the campaign.