Egypt coach alleges unfair treatment, favoring Messi after World Cup exit

Egypt's World Cup journey ended in heartbreak, but coach Hossam Hassan believes his team faced more than just a tough opponent on the field. Hassan alleged that officiating favored defending champions Argentina, suggesting Lionel Messi's continued presence in the tournament influenced decisions.

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I am very happy with my team’s performance at the World Cup. We have a good team that honoured African and Arab football. We don’t fear any team. We will build on what we achieved at this World Cup because we have many goals for the future. Our ambition is to compete on equal terms with any team in the world.

Despite a dramatic 3-2 defeat after leading 2-0, Hassan praised his players for reaching the knockout stage for the first time in Egypt's World Cup history. He emphasized their ability to compete with global stars, despite most playing in the domestic league. "We have a good team that honoured African and Arab football," Hassan stated, expressing satisfaction with their performance and ambition for the future.

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I thank my players for their performance, and I am very satisfied with them. The majority of my players compete in the domestic league, and they have proven they can challenge players in the world’s biggest leagues. We will earn our place among the world’s top football nations.

However, Hassan's post-match comments focused heavily on perceived injustices. He cited a disallowed penalty, a missed VAR check for another potential penalty, and a second-half goal that was controversially ruled out. "There seems to have been pressure from the Argentinian side on the referee that has brought about this outcome," he claimed, questioning the fairness in sports.

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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.

Adding to his frustration, Hassan criticized the midday kickoff time, calling it unsuitable for football. Speaking to beIN Sports, he directly questioned if tournament organizers wanted to keep Argentina and Messi in contention. "Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition? Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running?" he asked, suggesting "external factors" influenced the game beyond technical play.

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There seems to have been pressure from the Argentinian side on the referee that has brought about this outcome. Life is unfair. The world is unfair. OK, but why is there no fairness in sports? I’m not convinced by this outcome and by the way things unfolded in this match.