Egypt coaching team rest Mohamed Salah from one match to protect am from risk of injury on artificial turf. For first look, di argument stand well, because to safeguard di most important player for di history of Egyptian football na priority wey nobody fit dispute.
Salah no play di South Sudan match for di 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers because di Juba pitch na artificial turf. Di Egyptian Football Association announce say di call been agree before with Hossam Hassan staff “to protect him”.
Di same thing happen for di Mauritania and Cape Verde match for October 2024 on di artificial Nouakchott pitch, where Liverpool medical staff at di time raise concerns about recurrence of back and knee injuries. Trabzonspor no request di same thing, so why dem take di same decision?
Wetin look logical for Cairo fit turn deeply awkward for Europe. No single team for di Turkish Süper Lig dey play on artificial turf. Di pitches all na natural.
Di paradox be say di real test no go come from Turkey at all, but from Europe. Trabzonspor run for di UEFA Europa Conference League don catch plenty attention. Dem face Freiburg, KuPS, Hearts, Jablonec and CSKA Sofia, and among dem di Finnish side KuPS dey play for Väre Arena, one stadium wey artificial turf cover finish.
Here lies di crux. Trabzonspor themselves go forced to play on artificial turf for official European competition. Will dem withdraw? Of course not. Modern football dey coexist with these surfaces, and UEFA approve dem.
Dis one bring us back to Salah case and di context wey e deserve. Throughout him career, from Basel to Chelsea, Fiorentina, Roma and Liverpool, Salah don play dozens of matches on artificial turf for European qualifiers. Dig through di archives and you no go find one single documented injury for Salah wey artificial turf cause specifically.
Egypt decision rest no be on previous injury, but on a “potential risk”. So di question wey hint without stating am na dis: wetin happen if Salah, or any star of him stature, play next week on artificial pitch for Europe with him club? Wetin happen if Trabzonspor field all dia stars for Finland without any fuss?
Egyptian Football Association go then face awkward question. How artificial turf fit be danger serious enough to rest di national team captain for official match, while e remain approved, safe surface di same player tread for di biggest tournaments for world?
Nobody doubt di association care for Salah safety. Wetin dey in doubt na di standard of protection. Real protection dey come with clear medical protocol, not selective decision wey leave door open to interpretation.
Salah departure from di Pharaohs camp carry another dimension. He go miss di South Sudan match on Tuesday, but he go also miss di South Africa game wey dem schedule for Cairo International Stadium at di end of camp?
Football today no dey play on di type of turf, but on di strength of di argument. If Salah play on artificial turf for Europe this season, and e dey very much possible, di argument wey dem make for Cairo go collapse for di first European test.
