Khaled El-Derendely, Vice President of the Egyptian Football Association Board, spoke about the status of Egypt national team player Mohamed Salah regarding his participation in the friendly match against South Africa next Sunday.
The Egyptian national team defeated South Sudan with a clean 5-0 victory in the second round of the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
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The Egyptian national team had announced Mohamed Salah's absence from the squad list for the match against South Sudan, in order to rest him and keep him away from playing on an artificial turf (Tartan) pitch.
When asked if Salah would be present in the match against South Africa, El-Derendely said: "We will know the news regarding this matter tomorrow."
He continued: "Until now, I do not know whether Mohamed Abdelmonem will be with us in the match against South Africa or not; we will know tomorrow."
Mohamed Abdelmonem had also been excluded from the list due to the player having previously undergone ACL surgery, and medical warnings against playing on the artificial turf surface of the South Sudan match stadium, based on the medical report from his French club, Nice.
He revealed: "We are happy with the national team, the effort exerted, and the spirit. We placed ourselves in a great position after the World Cup. Players who achieved this feat cannot relinquish this standing, and the glory achieved does not disappear in minor matches."
He added: "I felt that before the match, the players were saying 'we are going down to eat the grass.' Yesterday during training, the Tartan was very hot. I tip my hat to the players for playing in such heat without any shortcoming on their part in the match."
Regarding the impact of Mohamed Salah and Abdelmonem's absence, he continued: "The latter is still returning from injury, and the Tartan pitch is not suitable for him; he has an excuse. There was an agreement that he was unable to play. Their presence gives confidence and interaction among the players, especially Mohamed Salah, who holds great value and is the captain of the national team both on and off the field. Al-Shenawy needs no introduction; he is a figure of stature and a symbol."
He completed: "Before the match, I sat with the players and told them I want to feel that we are in America; you faced large and heavy teams. Indeed, by winning against the South Sudan national team, the spirit and confidence returned anew."
He concluded: "Al-Ahly did not request nor send a request to the Football Association for its players to leave the camp. I am present with the delegation, and nothing has reached me. Al-Ahly always stands behind the national team and has never lagged. I doubt this matter. Al-Ahly knows its responsibility towards the Football Association and the Egyptian national team, and it is the primary supporter of all Egyptian national teams."
