An Egypt player joins Salah in leaving the camp

Egypt aim to make up for their home draw against Angola

Egypt's technical staff have decided to exclude Nice defender Mohamed Abdelmonem from the squad travelling to South Sudan at noon today, Sunday, in preparation for Tuesday's meeting between the two sides in the second round of the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Team manager Ibrahim Hassan explained the decision via the Egyptian Football Association's official account on "X". Abdelmonem will not join the delegation because of his previous cruciate ligament operation and the medical warnings against him playing on artificial turf, according to the report received from Nice.

The association had already announced that captain Mohamed Salah would leave the camp and stay behind rather than travel to South Sudan. Hossam Hassan's technical staff decided to rest him because the match is being played on an artificial pitch, and both parties had agreed before the Angola game that he would sit this one out.

Press reports told a different story. They spoke of tension between Salah and his manager over the substitution of the Trabzonspor star in the 61st minute of the clash with Angola, which ended in a goalless draw at Cairo Stadium.

South Sudan lost 2-1 away to Malawi in the first round of the qualifiers.