Turkish media have questioned the circumstances surrounding Mohamed Salah’s departure from the Egypt national team camp, with particular attention on the official explanation that he was released to avoid playing on an artificial pitch.
The Trabzonspor forward left the Egypt camp after the national team’s 0-0 draw with Angola in the opening round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. He is set to miss the next qualifier against South Sudan after the Egyptian Football Association said his absence had been agreed in advance with the coaching staff.
The decision has attracted significant attention in Turkey following Salah’s substitution during the Angola match and reports of tension between the player and Egypt coach Hossam Hassan.
The Egyptian Football Association said Salah would not travel for the South Sudan fixture because the match is scheduled to take place on an artificial turf surface. The explanation came amid speculation over the relationship between the Egypt captain and Hassan.
Turkish media have focused on the different accounts surrounding Salah’s departure, particularly as the player prepares to return to club football with Trabzonspor.
Hasan Tuncel, a journalist with the Turkish network 61Saat, questioned the explanation given by the Egyptian Football Association.
In a post on X, he wrote: “According to the Egyptian Federation, the reason for Salah leaving the camp is the unwillingness to risk him playing on artificial turf. In my opinion, this is not a convincing justification… Salah, who went with high spirits, unfortunately returns disappointed.”
The same network published a report suggesting there were two different accounts of what happened. The official explanation focused on protecting Salah from the risks associated with playing on artificial turf, while other reports pointed to tension within the Egypt camp following the Angola match.
According to those reports, Salah left the camp quietly in an attempt to prevent the situation from becoming more difficult and to avoid further tension.
The issue has also been covered by Turkish newspapers Fanatik and Milliyet, although their reports focused more closely on the official statements surrounding the incident.
Those publications highlighted Hassan’s explanation for replacing Salah in the 61st minute against Angola. The Egypt coach described the decision as “purely tactical” and said it was not connected to an injury.
The Turkish reports also referred to the Egyptian Football Association’s statement that Salah’s absence from the South Sudan match had been agreed beforehand because of the artificial playing surface.
The explanation has been viewed by the Turkish media, in part, as a precaution intended to protect the Trabzonspor player from potential muscle problems.
Salah had joined the Egypt camp shortly after scoring a hat-trick for Trabzonspor in their Turkish league victory over Galatasaray. He then played in Egypt’s opening qualifying match against Angola, which ended without a goal.
His departure means he will not feature when Egypt face South Sudan on 29 September in the second round of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Salah is also set to miss Egypt’s friendly against South Africa in Cairo on 4 October.
The Turkish media’s coverage has therefore focused not only on Salah’s absence but also on the differing explanations surrounding his departure and the events following the Angola match.
