By Sabri Dibaco
The Egypt national football team has arrived in Juba ahead of Tuesday’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match against South Sudan.
The Pharaohs are expected to prepare for the second-round encounter, which will be played at Juba Stadium on September 29. Egypt opened their qualifying campaign with a 0–0 draw against Angola, while South Sudan lost 2–1 to Malawi in their opening match.
However, Egypt will be without their captain and star forward Mohamed Salah, who did not travel to Juba for the match.
The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said Salah was rested because of concerns over the artificial-turf playing surface at Juba Stadium. The federation said the decision was agreed between the technical staff and Salah before Egypt’s match against Angola, with the intention of protecting the player from a potential injury.
Reports from Egypt and regional football media have highlighted concerns about the playing surface rather than describing the stadium generally as being of poor standard.
Egypt defender Mohamed Abdelmonem is also set to miss the trip, with Egypt’s national team director citing medical concerns related to playing on artificial turf.
The match is expected to attract significant attention from football fans in Juba, with South Sudan seeking its first points of the qualifying campaign against the seven-time AFCON champions.