Ahmed Fattouh’s half-time substitution against Senegal in the AFCON 2025 semi-final was forced by injury, not tactics.
The Egypt left-back complained of renewed pain during the break and immediately asked to come off.
Fattouh had been struggling with a hamstring issue before the game, and a source from the national team confirmed he felt those same muscle pains again in the first half. To avoid aggravating the problem, the coaching staff decided he would not continue after the interval. Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet replaced him at the start of the second half as Egypt reshuffled their left side.
Senegal went on to win 1–0 thanks to Sadio Mané’s goal at the Grand Stade de Tanger, extending their recent dominance over Egypt in major knockouts.
The result sent the Teranga Lions to a fourth AFCON final in their history, where they will meet the winner of the semi-final between Morocco and Nigeria, while Egypt must prepare for the third-place playoff.
