Hossam Hassan says Mohamed Salah missed Egypt’s South Sudan win for personal reasons

Egypt manager Hossam Hassan has said Mohamed Salah was absent from Tuesday’s 5-0 victory over South Sudan because of “personal reasons”.

Salah, the Egypt captain, was left out of the side for the second round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with the result giving the Pharaohs a strong response after their goalless draw with Angola in the opening round.

The Egyptian Football Association had previously announced, after the Angola match, that Salah would miss the South Sudan fixture because it was being played on a tartan surface.

However, speaking at his news conference after the win, Hassan gave a different explanation.

“Mohamed Salah was absent from the match for personal reasons,” he said.

The former Egypt striker stressed Salah’s importance but insisted the national team must not depend on one player.

“Mohamed Salah is a very important player for us,” Hassan said. “The whole team was going through difficult circumstances in the Angola match, and things would have been different if we had had a longer preparation period.

“I do not want to make excuses or offer justifications, but Egypt’s national team does not depend on one person. All the players are important. A country with 120 million people cannot have a national team that relies on one player.”

Hassan added that his responsibility was to work with the players available to him and build a strong squad.

“My duty is to work with the committed players who are present, in order to form a strong core for Egypt’s national team,” he said.

He also acknowledged that some of his comments had been misunderstood.

“I try to choose my words carefully. I speak with good intentions, but some words are understood incorrectly,” Hassan said.

Hassan reflects on Angola draw

Explaining Egypt’s performance in their opening qualifier, Hassan said the players had not been fully prepared, particularly because the Egyptian Premier League had only just begun.

“The players were not ready enough, especially with the start of the Egyptian Premier League, but our performance was not poor,” he said.

Hassan said the South Sudan match had also presented challenges, with the conditions affecting Egypt’s performance. Nevertheless, he felt his team had shown its quality and deserved the emphatic victory.

“The match against South Sudan was difficult. The pitch and the weather had an effect on us, but we showed our strength and controlled the game. The win reflects our work,” he said.

Hassan concluded by saying he accepted criticism and was accustomed to pressure, although he did not intend to respond to those who criticised him.

“I always respect criticism. I am used to the pressure, but I do not respond to anyone,” he said. “We must give our maximum effort to make all the Egyptian people happy.”