South Sudanese fans attack Salah... Why?

The absence of Mohamed Salah, captain of the Egyptian national team and Liverpool star, from the match against South Sudan did not go unnoticed by the home fans, who expressed their displeasure at the Egyptian player's absence from the game held at Juba National Stadium . Egypt secured a resounding 5-0 victory over their hosts, South Sudan, in the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations . According to the website FootAfrica, South Sudanese fans had hoped to see Salah on the pitch, but his absence prompted some of them to send a direct message to the Egyptian captain from the stands . The fans held up a banner that read: "Salah, you lack sportsmanship. Mane came to play here," referring to Senegalese player Sadio Mane, who had previously played for his national team at Juba Stadium . According to the website, the message was intended as a comparison between Salah's situation and Mane's, as the fans felt the Senegalese star had played a match for his national team under similar conditions, despite the artificial turf of Juba Stadium . The Egyptian Football Association had previously announced Mohamed Salah's absence from the match against South Sudan, citing the artificial turf pitch as the reason . Salah's absence caused disappointment among some South Sudanese fans, who had been eagerly anticipating seeing the Egyptian star on the field, only to watch the match from the stands without him.