Egypt has responded to the controversy surrounding its controversial defeat to Argentina at the World Cup, requesting a review that could potentially alter the tournament’s outcome.
On July 7, Egypt’s head coach Hossam Hassan received a yellow card after indicating that racial abuse occurred during the match, where Egypt lost 3-2 in the round of 16.
This incident was not the only point of contention.
Numerous cards were issued to both staff and players, a goal was disallowed, and VAR made decisions that penalized Egypt, prompting criticism of FIFA’s treatment of the team.
The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has now broken its silence, making a significant request amidst the turmoil from Atlanta Stadium.
The EFA claims it has sought a major overhaul at FIFA, including the dismissal of all officials who oversaw the match against Argentina.
The EFA has lodged a complaint with FIFA, highlighting ‘double standards’ purportedly evident in Atlanta.
This follows the disallowance of Mostafa Zico’s goal after Marwan Attia was penalized for allegedly stepping on Lisandro Martinez’s foot.
According to the EFA: “Hany Abou Rida, president of the Egyptian football federation, filed a complaint with Fifa, demanding an investigation into the French referee Francois Letexier after the serious refereeing mistakes committed by the team of referees and double standards, which caused the Egypt team to lose the match and leave the World Cup.”
The EFA is calling for an investigation into the actions of the referees and video technology referees due to what it describes as “blatant errors and insisting on not reviewing some of the footage.”
The BBC reports that the statement ‘demanded the exclusion of the referee and the entire crew from the World Cup after investigating these mistakes’ for ‘the crime of discrimination against the Egyptian national team’.
The EFA also addressed the issue on Instagram hours before issuing the official statement, criticizing the refereeing and what it perceives as unfair treatment.
The Instagram post states: “The Egyptian Football Association cannot remain silent regarding the refereeing decisions witnessed during the match against Argentina as well as the failure to make appropriate use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.”
The EFA pointed out ‘several key incidents’ that ‘raised serious concerns and left profound questions about the consistency and fairness of decisions that directly influenced the course of the game.’
UNILAD has reached out to FIFA for their comments on the matter.