Salah Withdraws from Egypt Qualifier over Pitch Concerns

Mohamed Salah will return to Liverpool early after withdrawing from Egypt's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Mauritania due to concerns over the artificial pitch and the opposition's aggressive playing style. Egypt manager Hossam Hassan confirmed that players could opt out of the match due to hazardous conditions. Salah previously scored in Egypt's 2-0 victory over Mauritania, maintaining their lead in the qualification group. His early return is welcomed by Liverpool as they prepare for a Premier League match against Chelsea. Meanwhile, Tunisia suffered a surprising defeat to Comoros, and Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Cameroon secured wins in their qualifying games. These results continue to shape the path to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.