Egypt coach calls World Cup loss to Argentina 'clearly a bought game' after 3-2 comeback
Egypt's coach and players accused the referee of bias and FIFA of favouring Argentina after a dramatic 3-2 defeat in the World Cup last 16, having led 2-0 with 20 minutes left.
The match
Egypt led 2-0 with 20 minutes remaining in the World Cup round of 16 at Atlanta Stadium, but Argentina scored three late goals to win 3-2 and advance to the quarter-finals. Mostafa Ziko scored Egypt's second goal, and had an earlier effort disallowed by VAR for a foul in the build-up. Enzo Fernandez netted the decisive goal for Argentina.
Accusations of manipulation
After the final whistle, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan launched a furious attack on the officiating.
He suggested Argentina had pressured referee François Letexier, and that FIFA wanted Lionel Messi to remain in the tournament.I will say what is in my soul, regardless of the consequences: this was clearly a bought game and the whole world saw it. We were better. What happened was neither fair nor equitable. The result was influenced by internal factors on the pitch and external factors before the match.
Midfielder Mostafa Ziko echoed the sentiment.
Ziko sarcastically congratulated Argentina on winning the World Cup, adding that the tournament was "made for them".The referee was not good, he was unfair. The injustice was clear. He persecuted us from the start of the match, he did not want us to win. A rigged game.
Key incidents
Three refereeing decisions drew particular ire. Ziko's first goal was ruled out after a VAR check for a foul in the build-up. A potential penalty on Mohamed Salah in the closing stages was not reviewed, and shortly afterwards Fernandez scored the winner. Hassan claimed a foul by Alexis Mac Allister in the move was ignored.
There was not even a VAR review. We all saw how his shirt was pulled, but the play was not reversed to disallow the goal.
Reactions and fallout
Hassan vowed not to watch another match of the tournament, calling it a personal protest. He also made a cross gesture with his arms after receiving a yellow card in stoppage time, which could breach FIFA's code of conduct. The Egyptian camp's accusations have cast a shadow over the integrity of the competition, with the coach stating that the impact of the result goes far beyond the defeat itself.
