Egypt manager Hossam Hassan has moved to shut down speculation of a rift with captain Mohamed Salah after the Trabzonspor forward left the national team camp ahead of their second AFCON 2027 qualifier.

Salah was substituted during Egypt’s draw with Angola before departing the squad, raising questions over his relationship with Hassan.

The manager, however, insists the decision had been agreed in advance and was made solely to protect the veteran forward from the risks of playing on an artificial surface.

Salah’s absence from Egypt’s upcoming meeting with South Sudan had fuelled speculation of unrest inside the squad, particularly after he was taken off in the 61st minute against Angola.

Hassan has now dismissed those suggestions, stressing that Salah remains central to his plans and that the decision was made with the player’s health in mind.

“I respect all players, led by Mohamed Salah. He is an important, influential and essential player for the team and one of the most important players in the world but we preferred to rest him because of the artificial turf,” Hassan told reporters.

The manager also revealed that Salah had raised the issue before the Angola match, meaning his departure was part of a pre-agreed plan rather than a reaction to events during the game.

“He had spoken with me about the matter before the Angola match, and we agreed on it. We need him in the upcoming matches and the safety of any player is my top priority, and my trust in all the players is immense,” Hassan explained.

Egypt will now face South Sudan without their captain as they continue their campaign to qualify for AFCON 2027.

Salah remains one of the most influential figures in the Egyptian squad, but Hassan has made clear that avoiding an unnecessary injury takes priority at this stage of the qualifying campaign.

The decision also comes amid a busy period for Salah at club level following his move to Trabzonspor, with Egypt keen to ensure their star forward remains available for the more demanding fixtures ahead.

Michael Olise’s superb late solo goal secured France victory over Belgium as Zinedine Zidane’s side made it two wins from two in the Nations League.

Les Bleus boss Zidane, overseeing his second match in charge, made nine changes from the win against Turkey on Friday but had to turn to his bench to break down a stubborn Belgian defence in Brussels.

Bayern Munich winger Olise took the ball down on his shoulder in his own half then set off on a brilliant run, racing up the pitch and shaking off a defender before coolly slotting into the bottom corner in the 88th minute.

Both sides had opportunities in an entertaining game but without striker Kylian Mbappe, who was not in the squad because he sustained a knee injury in the match against Turkey, France struggled to put away their chances.

Desire Doue was their standout player and was unlucky not to see any of his five efforts find the net, with one crashing off the crossbar, while debutant Lucas da Cunha also hit the post.

Belgium wingers Mika Godts and Dodi Lukebakio were a handful but could not find an opening against an inexperienced French defence.

France sit top of Group A1 and will take on Italy on Friday while, Belgium face Turkey.

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle is facing an absolute tactical nightmare after revealing that teenage sensation George Ilenikhena and his other reliable players are major doubts for Tuesday’s clash against Guinea-Bissau.

The 20-year-old forward, who filled Victor Osimhen’s heavy shoes with a crucial debut goal against Madagascar, is struggling with a sudden fitness issue.

To make matters worse, Chelle confirmed that two or three other unnamed players have been hit by sudden illness in camp.

Just when Nigerian football fans were starting to breathe a sigh of relief over the team’s depth, the injury gods have struck the Super Eagles camp at the absolute worst moment.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday evening’s decisive AFCON 2027 Group L qualifier against the Wild Dogs, a visibly concerned Eric Chelle delivered a devastating fitness update.
The biggest talking point is the immediate availability of George Ilenikhena. The explosive young forward had the entire nation singing his praises on Friday night after smashing home a vital equaliser on his debut to set up Nigeria’s 2-1 comeback victory in Uyo.

Now, his chances of anchoring the frontline on Matchday 2 are hanging by a very thin thread.

Chelle pulled no punches about the selection headache he is currently navigating, admitting that a final decision on the former AS Monaco striker will have to be delayed until the absolute last minute.

“We have to manage, maybe George, he has a little something, so we have to manage what we see at the last training session too,” Chelle explained anxiously to journalists.

The tactical damage doesn’t stop with the forward line either, as a sudden wave of illness has also swept through the hotel rooms in Bissau.

“After that, we have 2 or 3 players that are a little sick, so we see, we’ll see after the training session before tomorrow.”

With Victor Osimhen already completely missing from the international break due to ongoing treatment, losing Ilenikhena leaves the Super Eagles critically short on natural, in-form target men.

The host side, Guinea-Bissau, is already flying high on confidence after thoroughly dismantling Tanzania, and they will smell absolute blood following this medical update.

Chelle will now be heavily forced to alter his tactics. The crisis drops immense pressure onto the shoulders of LASK forward Moses Usor, who hammered home the spectacular solo winner off the bench against Madagascar, alongside Venezia hitman Akor Adams and Tolu Arokodare to step up and rescue the nation’s qualification campaign on hostile away territory.