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Egypt coach Hossam Hassan claimed officials “cheated” his team out of a historic World Cup quarter-final spot after Argentina staged a dramatic late comeback to win 3-2 on Tuesday.
During an explosive press conference, Hassan expressed deep fury over crucial refereeing decisions, including a disallowed goal by Mostafa Ziko when Egypt led 1-0 and a denied penalty claim for a shirt pull on Hamdy Fathy just before Argentina’s winning goal.
The coach accused the tournament organisers of favouritism, suggesting that external factors and officials supported the defending champions to keep Lionel Messi in the competition.
Despite the refereeing controversies, Ziko eventually doubled Egypt’s lead to put the Pharaohs on the brink of the last eight.
However, Cristian Romero sparked Argentina’s revival before Messi smashed home the equaliser to redeem a first-half penalty miss.
Enzo Fernandez then completed the turnaround in stoppage time, prompting Hassan to declare that he would boycott watching the remainder of the World Cup in protest.
The Egypt coach also criticised tournament officials for scheduling a noon kickoff, arguing that the early timing severely disrupted the players’ recovery and preparation.
