The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said it “cannot remain silent” after what it believes was unfair and biased officiating in Egypt's 3-2 round of 16 loss against Argentina on Wednesday.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan and several players criticised the officiating after being left in disbelief as Argentina scored three unanswered goals in 13 minutes to pull off one of the biggest comebacks in World Cup history.
“Defending the rights and interests of the Egyptian national team is not a matter that can be ignored, minimised, or treated as secondary,” the EFA said in a statement. “It is a responsibility that we carry with full conviction and determination.”
Egypt appeared to have netted its second goal in the 58th minute, but a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review determined that Marwan Attia had fouled Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez before the goal.
The statement said that the referee failed to use the VAR system appropriately, leading to the loss.
“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 read.
Mostafa Ziko netted another one nine minutes later to give Egypt a 2-0 lead, but all momentum shifted onto Argentina's side when Lionel Messi assisted Cristian Romero in the 79th minute — the first of three consecutive goals.
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Hassan held his arms up in an “X” shape to signal racial abuse after Argentina's game-winner two minutes into stoppage time. After the game, Hassan said his team was the victim of a football establishment that favoured Messi and Argentina.
In the dramatic climax to the game, Egypt's goalkeeping coach Saafan Elsaghir was red-carded, and several yellow cards were dished out to Egyptian players. The EFA's statement said that a number of experts and analysts have defended Egypt, underlining the importance of integrity, fairness and transparency in officiating on soccer's biggest stage.
The statement expressed the frustration among Egyptian players, staff and supporters.
“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.”
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