Egypt Protests FIFA World Cup Loss

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has spoken out against what it believes was unfair officiating in Egypt's 3-2 loss to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup. The match saw Argentina come back from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 in 13 minutes.

The EFA stated that it 'cannot remain silent' and will defend the rights and interests of the Egyptian national team. The association criticized the referee's failure to use the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system appropriately, leading to the loss.

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan and several players also criticized the officiating after the match. However, FIFA's chief of refereeing Pierluigi Collina defended the referees, saying that 'unfounded allegations have no place in our sport' and that 'nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials'.

Collina explained that the VAR system was used correctly in the disputed case, where a foul was identified in the build-up to an Egyptian goal. He stated that 'a foul is a foul, regardless of whether the foul appears obvious' and that the VAR can intervene if the referee did not see it on the field of play.

The controversy surrounds a VAR review that determined Marwan Attia had fouled Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez early in the buildup to an Egyptian goal. The goal was subsequently disallowed, and Argentina went on to score three consecutive goals to win the match.

The EFA's statement emphasized that defending the rights and interests of the Egyptian national team is a responsibility that they carry with full conviction and determination. However, Collina warned that unfounded allegations can provoke reactions that lead to threats against referees and their families.