'Penalty Ruled Out, Goal Disallowed': Egypt Coach Blasts Referee After Argentina Defeat
'Penalty Ruled Out, Goal Disallowed': Egypt Coach Blasts Referee After Argentina Defeat Published By, Last Updated: July 08, 2026, 02:59 IST Hassan said he was
'Penalty Ruled Out, Goal Disallowed': Egypt Coach Blasts Referee After Argentina Defeat Published By, Last Updated: July 08, 2026, 02:59 IST Hassan said he was unhappy with several decisions made during the game, including Egypt’s disallowed goal and a late penalty appeal that was not given. Referee Francois Letexier shows a yellow card to Hossam Hassan, Head Coach of Egypt, during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match with Argentina. (Getty Images via AFP) Egypt coach Hossam Hassan criticised the referee and VAR decisions after his side suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup, saying his team was “cheated" and denied a fair result. Egypt were leading 2-0 with just 11 minutes left in their last-16 clash against the defending champions, but Argentina produced a late comeback to win the match and move into the quarter-finals.
Hassan said he was unhappy with several decisions made during the game, including Egypt’s disallowed goal and a late penalty appeal that was not given. “I do not want to put it nicely and talk about hard luck. We have been cheated unfairly today, we have suffered injustice," Hassan said in an explosive press conference after the match. Hassan Questions Referee, VAR Decisions Hassan pointed to two major incidents that he felt went against Egypt. Egypt’s second goal, scored by Mostafa Ziko, was ruled out after a VAR review found a foul in the build-up. The Egyptian team also appealed for a penalty late in the game after Hamdy Fathy appeared to be pulled inside the box. Moments later, Argentina went up the other end and scored the winning goal through Enzo Fernandez. “We haven’t seen respect or fair play.
A penalty was ruled out and a second (incident) that should have been checked for a penalty for us was not even checked by the VAR. A second goal was remarkably, for whatever reason, disallowed," Hassan said. He also suggested that pressure from Argentina players may have influenced the referee. “There seems to have been pressure on the Argentinian side on the referee that has brought about this outcome," he said. Hassan added that he would not continue watching the tournament after Egypt’s exit. “I’m going home and won’t be watching any more games from the tournament," he said. The Egypt coach also criticised the scheduling of the match, saying, “Whoever schedules these matches is someone who has never played football. You never schedule a football match at 12 noon." News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad.
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