Salah Sparks Denial: Egypt Refutes Bench Rumors After AFCON Draw
29 December 2025
Disputed Salah Claim Denied
Mohamed Morad, the Egyptian national team’s media coordinator, rejected reports of Mohamed Salah's supposed rebellion against coach Hossam Hassan's decision to bench him for the Angola match, which ended 0-0 in the AFCON group stage’s third round as scheduled amid social media chatter today.
Egypt Advances to Knockouts
One fan page on Facebook, boasting over three million followers, claimed Salah told the Pharaohs' coach he refused to sit as a substitute against Angola. Morad replied: this report is completely untrue. There was no such conversation, the coach said publicly.
Additionally, Egypt had already sealed progress to knockout phase thanks to a win over South Africa in the second round, with Salah himself scoring a goal. The Pharaohs played Angola with substitutes and finished top of Group B on seven points.
South Africa’s win over Zimbabwe lifted its tally to six points, earning spot in next round alongside Egypt, while Angola and Zimbabwe finished with two.
Punchline 1: Salah's bench saga? The only thing benching here is the suspense at halftime.
Punchline 2: If football ever writes a memoir, Salah will surely author the ending.
