Mohamed Salah's availability for the match against South Africa has captured the attention of South African media ahead of the friendly between the two teams in Cairo next Sunday, marking the end of the international break.
The "The South African" newspaper highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the participation of Egypt's captain, especially after he missed the Pharaohs' second match in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against South Sudan, without a clear reason for his absence being disclosed.
It noted that Egypt's coach, Hossam Hassan, initially stated that Salah would not play against South Sudan due to the match being held on an artificial turf pitch, before the narrative changed later, as other statements from him indicated that the player's absence was due to personal circumstances.
The newspaper explained that conflicting information regarding the former Liverpool star's status opened the door to speculation about his participation against South Africa, with some sources indicating his absence from the match, while others confirmed the possibility of him featuring for the Pharaohs.
Salah's situation has become a topic of discussion in South African media, particularly amid criticism directed at Hossam Hassan over his handling of the player's absence and the lack of clarity regarding the reason from the outset, according to the newspaper.
On the other hand, the newspaper noted that Pitso Mosimane is preparing to make changes to South Africa's lineup, leaning towards giving opportunities to several players who have not yet featured, after the national team played two matches during the current international break.
It revealed that Mosimane does not want to treat the match against Egypt as an easy friendly, explaining that he deliberately chose a tough test instead of facing a team that South Africa could beat by a large margin, emphasizing that such matches help him gauge his team's true level.
It added that the match is also expected to see several key players rested, most notably goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, with the possibility of giving his substitutes Sifiso Chaine or Ricardo Goss a chance, along with several players who have not yet appeared under Mosimane's leadership.
