Mohamed Salah will not be in attendance next Tuesday, when Egypt takes on Mauritania in matchday four of the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Afrosport reports.
Salah scored the Pharaohs’ second goal in their 2-0 win over the Lions of Chinguetti at the Cairo International Stadium on Friday, after Trezeguet’s 69th minute goal had put the hosts in front.
The Egypt captain has, however, pulled out of the squad with a statement from his club, Liverpool, confirming that the forward “will now take no further part in international camp this month after the decision was made to relieve him early from his national team commitments.”
Liverpool’s statement coincides with the words of Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan, who while talking to Journalists in his post-match conference in Cairo, raised concerns over playing on Mauritania’s artificial turf, citing injury fears for his players.
— Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) October 12, 2024
Salah would now be absent from the second leg slated for the Cheikha Ould Boïdiya Stadium in Nouakchott, on Tuesday, October 15.
Egypt are currently top of Group C with a perfect record of nine points from their opening three group games, three points clear of the trio of Cape Verde, Botswana, and Mauritania.
They will be gunning for a fourth straight win in the group, knowing that a draw on Tuesday, books their place in next year’s AFCON finals.
Meanwhile, Liverpool also confirmed that Dutch defender and club captain Virgil van Dijk has also been released early from international duty.
The 33-year-old was sent off for the Netherlands after picking up two yellow cards in their 1-1 draw at Hungary in the UEFA Nations League on Friday.
