Egypt coach Hossam Hassan stated that Mohamed Salah missed the match against South Sudan due to personal reasons.

The Egyptian FA had previously announced that Salah would miss the match against South Sudan due to concerns over the artificial turf pitch, following their initial 0-0 draw with Angola.

However, Hossam Hassan said in the post-match press conference: "Salah missed the match due to personal reasons."

He added: "Salah is very important to us, and the entire team had a difficult time against Angola. With more preparation time, things would have been different."

He continued: "I don't want to make excuses, but the Egyptian team does not rely on one player. All players are important, and a country with 120 million people should not have its national team depend on a single player."

He then said: "My job is to work with the committed players I have and build a solid foundation for the Egyptian team."

He emphasized: "I am always careful with my words. I say these things with good intentions, but some things can be misunderstood."

Speaking about the Angola match, he explained: "The players were not adequately prepared, especially since the Egyptian league had just started, but our performance was not poor."

He added: "The match against South Sudan was difficult; the pitch and weather conditions affected us, but we demonstrated our strength, controlled the game, and the victory proves our work."

Finally, he said: "I always respect criticism and am accustomed to pressure, but I will not engage with detractors. We must do our best to make all Egyptian people happy."

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