Egypt Confirm Mohamed Abdel Moneim Will Miss South Sudan AFCON Qualifier Due to Artificial Turf

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has confirmed that Mohamed Abdel Moneim will also miss Egypt's second 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against South Sudan on September 29 due to concerns over the artificial turf pitch.

The Nice defender joins Mohamed Salah on the list of players who will not travel with the Pharaohs for the crucial qualifier.

According to the EFA, Abdel Moneim has been left out of the travelling squad because of his previous anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery. Medical advice from his French club, Nice, warned against allowing the defender to play on the artificial surface in South Sudan.

In an official statement, Egypt team manager Ibrahim Hassan confirmed the decision.

"It has been decided to remove Mohamed Abdel Moneim from the travelling squad this afternoon to South Sudan due to the player having previously undergone anterior cruciate ligament surgery and the medical warnings against playing on the pitch surface for the South Sudan match, which is made of artificial turf, based on the medical report from his French club Nice."

Egypt's squad will leave on Sunday afternoon for South Sudan ahead of Tuesday's qualifier as the Pharaohs look to secure their first victory of the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.

Egypt were held to a 0-0 draw by Angola in their opening Group B fixture at the Cairo International Stadium, leaving them with one point from their first match.