Argentina’s dramatic World Cup knockout win over Egypt has been overshadowed by controversy, with Egypt coach Hossam Hassan accusing officials of showing favouritism towards the defending champions.
Argentina came from behind to defeat Egypt 3-2 in a thrilling last-16 clash, but the result left Egypt furious after two major decisions went against them.
The biggest flashpoint came when Egypt thought they had taken the lead in the second half through Mostafa Ziko. However, after a VAR review, the goal was ruled out because Marwan Attia was judged to have stepped on Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez during the build-up.
Then, in stoppage time, Argentina scored the winning goal, but Egyptian players believed there was a foul inside the box before the strike. Their appeals were rejected, leading to heated protests from the Egyptian team after the final whistle.
‘We were robbed in broad daylight’, Egypt manager furious
Hossam Hassan, a former Egyptian player turned coach, said he rarely criticises referees but felt the decisions in this match went beyond normal mistakes.
“I have been involved in football for decades as a player and coach. I rarely talk about referees because mistakes are part of the game. But what happened today was not just an error,” he said. The Egyptian coach insisted his team earned their performance through hard work.
“We fought for every ball, defended bravely and attacked positively. We scored a goal that could have changed the outcome of the match,” he said. Hassan questioned why decisions benefiting Egypt received heavy VAR scrutiny, while controversial moments involving Argentina were not reviewed in the same way.
“The biggest question is simple,why were decisions in our favour examined with a magnifying glass, while decisions favouring Argentina did not receive the same level of review?” he said.
Why bring everyone here if the winner is decided?’
Hassan also criticised FIFA, saying the situation made Egyptian fans feel the sport was not being treated fairly.
“FIFA always says football unites the world, but tonight millions of Egyptians felt football had divided the world,” he said. He added that rules should apply equally to every team, whether it is Argentina, Brazil, France or Egypt.
“We can accept losing, but we cannot accept a match being decided by decisions that will be discussed for years,” he said. Hassan went further by suggesting there may have been commercial reasons behind keeping Argentina and Lionel Messi in the tournament. “Maybe they want the world champions and Messi to remain in the World Cup because of marketing reasons,” he claimed.
He later accused the match of being “fixed” and said the world was watching, though he did not provide evidence to support the allegation.
Argentina advance, but controversy continues
The match also saw further drama on the sidelines. Hassan received a yellow card after protesting the decisions, while assistant coach Saafan was sent off after collecting two yellow cards. Egypt players Mostafa Shobeir and Fathy were also booked during the heated protests.
While Argentina moved into the quarter-finals, the debate over the refereeing decisions continues, with Egypt supporters questioning whether the biggest teams receive different treatment on football’s biggest stage.
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