Egypt’s football federation filed a formal complaint after a controversial 3-2 World Cup defeat to Argentina. Officials demanded an investigation into the match officiating on Wednesday.
The complaint followed Egypt’s dramatic last-16 exit after several disputed refereeing decisions. Federation president Hany Aburida submitted the request to FIFA.
Egypt Challenges Key Refereeing Decisions
The federation accused French referee Francois Letexier and his officiating team of making serious mistakes. It also alleged inconsistent decisions influenced the outcome of the match.
A Mostafa Ziko goal was disallowed following a VAR review while Egypt led 1-0. Officials ruled that Lisandro Martinez had been fouled earlier in the attacking move.
However, Ziko later scored again to give Egypt a 2-0 advantage. Argentina eventually equalised through Cristian Romero and Lionel Messi before Enzo Fernandez scored the winner.
Egypt also claimed Hamdy Fathy should have received a penalty before Argentina’s decisive goal. The federation argued Alexis Mac Allister fouled the midfielder inside the penalty area.
Federation Demands FIFA Investigation
Furthermore, the federation called for an investigation into the entire refereeing team, including VAR officials. It claimed referees ignored footage supporting Egypt’s appeal for a goal and penalty.
Additionally, officials requested the referee and his team be removed from the tournament if wrongdoing is confirmed. They alleged the decisions unfairly harmed Egypt’s World Cup campaign.
Meanwhile, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan strongly criticised the officiating after the match. He claimed his team suffered injustice and questioned whether external factors influenced the result.
