The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has formally lodged a complaint with FIFA, requesting the expulsion of the officiating team from the World Cup after their last-16 match loss to Argentina. The EFA cited "double standards" and "serious refereeing mistakes" in a defeat that saw Egypt eliminated from the tournament.
Central to the complaint are two key incidents during the second half. The VAR system disallowed a potential go-ahead goal for Egypt's Mostafa Zico, deeming a foul by midfielder Marwan Attia on Argentina's Lisandro Martinez in the build-up. The EFA argued this decision was incorrect, particularly given Attia was penalized for stepping on Martinez's foot at the start of the play.
Furthermore, Egypt believed their star player, Mohamed Salah, was fouled inside the Argentina penalty area moments before Argentina scored the winning goal in stoppage time. Argentina went on to win the match 3-2.
In a statement, EFA president Hany Abou Rida informed FIFA of the alleged officiating errors and "double standards" that he claims led to Egypt's elimination. The association is calling for a thorough investigation into the decisions made by both the on-field referees and the video assistant referees, alleging "blatant errors" and a refusal to review certain replays.
The EFA has specifically demanded the "exclusion of the referee and the entire crew from the World Cup" pending the investigation, labeling the outcome as "the crime of discrimination against the Egyptian national team."
Egypt has never advanced to the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Manager Hossam Hassan expressed his team felt "treated unfairly" and had "suffered injustice," suggesting that external forces might have influenced the decisions to keep Argentina, and Lionel Messi, in the competition. Player Zico also voiced his disappointment, stating, "The referee was really unfair. The injustice was clear... It is clear that this tournament has been fixed."
Argentina is scheduled to play Switzerland in their next match on Saturday.