Egypt coach Hossam Hassan has launched a furious attack on the officiating after his side suffered a painful 3-2 World Cup elimination against Argentina, accusing referees of denying the Pharaohs a deserved victory.
Egypt were minutes away from one of the tournament’s biggest upsets after taking a 2-0 lead against the defending champions, but Argentina’s late three-goal comeback ended their dream run and left Hassan fuming over key decisions.
“I’m going home and won’t be watching any more games from the tournament,” Hassan said after the match. “What happened to us wasn’t fair. We should have had a penalty, a goal was disallowed, and I don’t know why it was disallowed.”
The Egyptian coach questioned the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decision that ruled out Mostafa Zico’s goal for a foul in the buildup, while also claiming his team was denied a late penalty before Argentina scored the stoppage-time winner.
Hassan said the officiating robbed Egypt of what could have been a historic result against Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina.
“Even if the goals came from mistakes, the biggest mistake is not getting what you’re entitled to from those responsible for making the decisions,” he said.
Despite the anger, Hassan praised his players for their fighting spirit, saying a largely home-based Egyptian squad proved they could compete against the world’s best teams.
“With predominantly local players, besides Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, we were able to compete with anyone,” he added.
Source Reuters
Egypt were minutes away from one of the tournament’s biggest upsets after taking a 2-0 lead against the defending champions, but Argentina’s late three-goal comeback ended their dream run and left Hassan fuming over key decisions.
“I’m going home and won’t be watching any more games from the tournament,” Hassan said after the match. “What happened to us wasn’t fair. We should have had a penalty, a goal was disallowed, and I don’t know why it was disallowed.”
The Egyptian coach questioned the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decision that ruled out Mostafa Zico’s goal for a foul in the buildup, while also claiming his team was denied a late penalty before Argentina scored the stoppage-time winner.
Hassan said the officiating robbed Egypt of what could have been a historic result against Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina.
“Even if the goals came from mistakes, the biggest mistake is not getting what you’re entitled to from those responsible for making the decisions,” he said.
Despite the anger, Hassan praised his players for their fighting spirit, saying a largely home-based Egyptian squad proved they could compete against the world’s best teams.
“With predominantly local players, besides Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, we were able to compete with anyone,” he added.
Source Reuters
