Egypt's national team does not depend on any one player and I work with those who are committed: Hossam Hassan reveals the reason for Salah's absence

Hossam Hassan, the Egypt manager, has revealed the reason behind the absence of the Pharaohs' captain Mohamed Salah from Tuesday evening's match against South Sudan, a 5-0 win for Egypt in the second round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

In an official statement after the goalless first-round draw with Angola, the Football Association had claimed Salah would sit out the South Sudan match because the pitch was an artificial (tartan) surface.

Hossam Hassan told a different story at the post-match press conference. "Salah missed the match for personal reasons," he said.

He added: "Mohamed Salah is a very important player for us, and the whole team was going through difficult circumstances in the Angola match, and things would have been different had we had a longer preparation period."

"I don't want to make excuses and justifications, but the Egypt national team does not depend on any one person," he continued. "All the players are important, and it is not acceptable that a country of 120 million has its national team relying on a single player."

He went on: "My duty is to work with the loyal players who are present, to build a strong core for the Egypt national team."

Choosing his words carefully, he added: "I speak because my intentions are good, but some words are understood incorrectly."

On the Angola match, he explained: "The players were not sufficiently ready, especially with the start of the Egyptian league, but our performance was not bad."

Egypt's boss then turned to South Sudan. "The match was difficult, and the factors of the pitch and the weather affected us, but we showed our strength and controlled the match, and the win reflects our work," he said.

He concluded his remarks: "I always respect criticism, and I am used to pressure, but I do not respond to anyone, and we must give our utmost effort to make the entire Egyptian people happy."