Egypt have left Mohamed Abdelmonem out of the squad flying to South Sudan on Sunday afternoon. The Nice defender misses the trip ahead of Tuesday's meeting between the two sides in the second round of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Speaking through the Egyptian Football Association's official account on X, Pharaohs manager Ibrahim Hassan explained that Abdelmonem would not join the delegation. The defender previously underwent a cruciate ligament operation, and Nice's report carried medical warnings against playing on artificial turf.
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Salah's absence had already been confirmed. The Egyptian Football Association announced that captain Mohamed Salah would leave the camp and skip the trip to South Sudan, with Hossam Hassan's staff opting to rest him because of the artificial turf. The two parties, the association added, had agreed on his non-participation before the Angola match.
Press reports told a different story. They pointed to tension between Salah and his manager after the Trabzonspor star was substituted in the 61st minute against Angola, a game that finished goalless at Cairo Stadium.
South Sudan arrive on the back of a 2-1 defeat away to Malawi in the first round of qualifying.