Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan launched a scathing attack on the officiating following his side’s heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Argentina, insisting the reigning world champions did not deserve victory and alleging that match officials had been influenced before kick off.
The Pharaohs appeared on course for one of the greatest results in their history after opening a two-goal lead against Lionel Scaloni’s side, only for Argentina to produce a stunning late comeback with three goals in the closing stages to snatch a place in the FIFA World Cup quarter finals.
But while Argentina celebrated another dramatic escape, Hassan left the post match press conference convinced that events away from the pitch had shaped the outcome.
“We had the right to win,” Hassan told reporters.
“I am not going to say Argentina are a good team or that they deserved the result. They didn’t deserve to win today.”
The Egypt coach argued that his players had outperformed one of the tournament favourites despite relying almost entirely on footballers from the domestic league.
“Today I was with players from the Egyptian league against some of the most expensive footballers in the world,” he said.
“We worked hard and we were the better team.”
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Hassan’s strongest criticism, however, was directed at French referee François Letexier, whom he accused of making decisive calls against Egypt while suggesting the official had come under external pressure before the game.
“It is clear that the pressures put on the referee before the match from the Argentine side succeeded,” Hassan alleged.
“We were treated unfairly in every situation.”
The former Egypt striker questioned several key decisions, including the disallowed second goal that would have given his side a commanding advantage and appeals for a late penalty that were waved away.
He also criticized FIFA’s scheduling after Egypt were made to play in extreme midday conditions.
“There is no football played at 12 noon,” Hassan said.
“If you understand football, you know what players have to go through before a match. I completely object to these kick-off times.”
Despite his frustration, Hassan reserved special praise for his players, insisting they had earned worldwide respect through their performance.
“I am proud of my team, proud of my country and proud that we represented Egypt this way,” he said.
“We leave with honour even if the result says otherwise.”
Hassan maintained that Egypt’s World Cup journey had demonstrated they could compete with the very best and suggested the tournament had exposed wider issues around fairness.
“The world is not fair,” he said.
“There is no fairness in football. I am convinced of my team’s performance, but I am not convinced by what happened in this match.”
His comments are likely to generate fresh debate following one of the most dramatic matches of the tournament, with Argentina advancing to the last eight while Egypt bowed out after letting a twogoal lead slip in the closing minutes.
Although Hassan acknowledged the quality of Lionel Messi and Argentina’s star-studded squad before the tournament, his post match verdict left no doubt about his feelings over how the contest was decided.
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Hassan maintained the result will remain overshadowed by the officiating.
“Argentina didn’t deserve to win,” he repeated. “We were denied what we earned on the pitch.”
