"My leg was burned".. Imam Ashour reveals the suffering of Egypt's national team players

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Imam Ashour, the player of the Egyptian national team and Al Ahly club, revealed the difficulties faced by the Pharaohs players during their match against South Sudan two days ago, due to the high temperatures and the nature of the pitch at the Juba National Stadium, which hosted the match on an artificial turf.

Imam Ashour stated in television remarks after the match on Tuesday evening that he and his teammates exerted a great effort throughout the 90 minutes, saying: "I changed 3 pairs of shoes and my feet and toes burned."

He also pointed out that more than one player in the national team faced the same situation. He confirmed that the players endured the tough conditions to achieve victory and represent Egypt.

Ashour's statements brought back to the forefront the discussion about the difficulty of playing on artificial turf, especially with the high temperatures in Juba.

The Egyptian Football Association had announced the resting of Mohamed Salah from the match against South Sudan due to the "tartan" pitch, explaining that the coaching staff agreed with the player not to participate in order to preserve him.

The coaching staff of the Egyptian national team, led by Hossam Hassan, made sure to train the players on an artificial turf pitch at the Air Defense Stadium before traveling to South Sudan, aiming to help them adapt to the nature of the field.

In a related context, Ahmed Abdel Halim, the former Zamalek star, spoke about Salah following Egypt's victory over South Sudan, confirming that the Pharaohs' captain is one of the most important football stars in the world. Abdel Halim stated during remarks on the "Zamalekawi" program yesterday that Salah should be treated in a special way and that his great abilities should be utilized within the national team, while he praised Ahmed Fattouh, considering that he possesses individual solutions that could assist the team during matches.

Egypt's national team achieved a victory over South Sudan with a score of five goals to none in the second round of the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.