Egypt releases official statement on Salah substitution controversy

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has addressed the recent controversy surrounding Mohamed Salah’s substitution during the World Cup qualifiers. Reports suggested that the Liverpool star refused to be substituted in the match against Guinea-Bissau.

The Pharaohs, aiming to secure their place in the 2026 World Cup in the USA, played against Burkina Faso and Guinea-Bissau. Salah, 31, featured in both matches, scoring a crucial goal in the second game that resulted in a 1-1 draw.

Following the match, rumors circulated that Salah had refused to leave the pitch when a substitution was being made. The EFA has now released an official statement to clarify the situation.

“There is absolutely no truth to the rumours that Mohamed Salah refused to leave the pitch,” the statement read. “Salah was not going to be substituted off in the first place. Hossam Hassan was content with only bringing on Nasser Maher.”

The confusion arose during stoppage time when Mostafa Fathi and Nasser Maher were prepared to enter the game. Only Maher ended up being substituted in, leading to speculation that Fathi was supposed to replace Salah but returned to the bench due to potential resistance from the Liverpool forward.

The EFA’s statement aims to put to rest any misunderstandings, asserting that there was no disagreement involving Salah over the substitution decision.