The Egyptian Football Association has expressed doubts about the fairness of the national team’s 3-2 loss to Argentina in their World Cup last-16 match on Tuesday.
Egypt took an early lead with a goal from Yasser Ibrahim, and they believed they had scored again in the second half when Mostafa Ziko found the net following a well-constructed play. However, the referee, François Letexier, disallowed the goal after reviewing the play, determining that Marwan Attia had committed a foul leading up to it.
Ziko managed to score again, making it 2-0 in the 67th minute, but Argentina quickly responded with goals from Cristian Romero and Lionel Messi to equalize. As the match approached injury time, Egypt was left frustrated when Letexier opted not to award a penalty for a challenge by Julián Alvarez on Mohamed Salah. Shortly thereafter, Enzo Fernández netted the decisive goal.
After the match, Hossam Hassan, Egypt’s manager, stated that his team had “What happened was unfair. Egypt deserved to qualify. We were the better team.” and “The Egyptian Football Association cannot remain silent regarding the refereeing decisions witnessed during the match against Argentina as well as the failure to make appropriate use of the video assistant referee system,” asserting: “Several key incidents raised serious concerns and left profound questions about the consistency and fairness of decisions that directly influenced the course of the game. “A number of football experts and specialist analysts, both locally and internationally, have highlighted controversial and influential refereeing incidents during the match. This underlines the importance of maintaining the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and transparency in match officiating, particularly in a competition of the stature and significance of the World Cup.” The Egyptian FA has rallied behind Hassan, condemning the officiating during the match.
“Egyptian football has always respected the principles of fair play, sporting integrity, and respect for the game. These same principles require that all teams compete on equal terms and receive equal treatment. What occurred during the match has understandably generated widespread frustration among our players, staff, and supporters, who expected the highest standards of officiating on football’s biggest stage. “Defending the rights and interests of the Egyptian national team is not a matter that can be ignored, minimised, or treated as secondary. It is a responsibility that we carry with full conviction and determination. Every player who wears the Egyptian shirt, and every supporter who stands behind the team, deserves fairness, respect, and equal application of the laws of the game.” the statement declared. “Several key incidents raised serious concerns and left profound questions about the consistency and fairness of decisions that directly influenced the course of the game.
The statement continued: “Egyptian football has always respected the principles of fair play, sporting integrity, and respect for the game. These same principles require that all teams compete on equal terms and receive equal treatment. What occurred during the match has understandably generated widespread frustration among our players, staff, and supporters, who expected the highest standards of officiating on football’s biggest stage.
“Defending the rights and interests of the Egyptian national team is not a matter that can be ignored, minimised, or treated as secondary. It is a responsibility that we carry with full conviction and determination. Every player who wears the Egyptian shirt, and every supporter who stands behind the team, deserves fairness, respect, and equal application of the laws of the game.”
Despite their disappointment at how they exited the tournament, Egypt made history by securing their first World Cup victory, advancing from the group stage for the first time, and achieving their initial knockout stage win. Consequently, the Egyptian Football Association has approved an extension of Hassan’s contract.
