Sports

IIE DIGITAL: The Egyptian Football Federation has officially approached FIFA, demanding an investigation into the refereeing team after the Pharaohs’ controversial 3-2 defeat against Argentina in the World Cup Round of 16. The federation has called for the officials involved in the match to be removed from the tournament, citing what it described as major officiating errors and inconsistent decisions.

Federation president Hany Aburida submitted the complaint against French referee Francois Letexier, alleging that the refereeing decisions and VAR interventions played a crucial role in Egypt’s elimination from the competition.

The controversy erupted when Mostafa Ziko’s goal was ruled out following a VAR review, with officials identifying an earlier foul on Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez during the attacking move. Egypt later regained control by taking a 2-0 lead through Ziko, moving closer to reaching the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time.

However, after Argentina fought back through goals from Christian Romero and Lionel Messi, another disputed moment occurred in stoppage time. Egypt claimed they should have been awarded a penalty after an alleged foul on Hamdy Fathy by Alexis Mac Allister before Enzo Fernandez scored the decisive winning goal.

The Egyptian federation has demanded a review of the complete officiating crew, including VAR officials, accusing them of failing to examine certain key incidents that could have benefited the Egyptian team. The federation stated that the referee team should be excluded from the World Cup if the investigation confirms the alleged mistakes.

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan also voiced his disappointment after the match, saying his team was denied fair treatment. He questioned the decisions made during the game and suggested that Argentina’s status as world champions may have influenced the course of events.