Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan bemoaned injustice after a 3-2 loss against defending champions Argentina in the ongoing World Cup. Hassan’s team were leading by 2-0 but Lionel Scaloni’s side bounced back in the last 15 minutes to book their quarterfinals berth.
Egypt almost had the game in their pocket but the reigning champions were able to snatch a win from the jaws of defeat.
Enzo Fernández scored the winner in the second minute of stoppage-time after Cristian Romero and Lionel Messi equalised for La Albiceleste.
Referee François Letexier’s decisions were questioned worldwide after an insane match came to a close. Egypt had one goal disallowed on VAR after Mostafa Ziko found the back in the net in the 58th minute.
“We looked better than the reigning champions — better in everything — but the result was influenced by internal factors on the pitch and external factors off it,” Hassan told reporters. “Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running.
“In football, there are sometimes external factors that go beyond the technical aspects. The world champion received support at every level.”
Egypt was left fuming when the referee didn’t check on an apparent foul by Alexis Mac Allister in the immediate buildup to Fernández’s match-winning goal. The gaffer was left stunned that the video assistant referee didn’t feel a need for Letexier to review the apparent Mac Allister foul.
“There seem to be pressures from the Argentina side on this outcome,” he said. “We were objecting to the selection of the referee because of the French situation [Argentina beat France in the 2022 World Cup final], but everybody has to suffer at some point, and we suffered.
“We haven’t seen respect or fair play. A penalty was ruled out [an alleged foul on Mo Salah]. It was not even checked by the VAR, and our second goal was remarkably, for whatever reason, disallowed.
“I want to put it in beautiful words and say, ‘Hard luck,’ but we have been treated unfairly and it has been an injustice,” he said.
Egypt FA has said it won’t stay silent after the controversial match.
