Egypt's Football Association has filed an official complaint to FIFA against French referee Francois Letexier and his officiating team following Tuesday's World Cup round-of-16 match against Argentina, according to Egyptian journalist Ismaeel Mahmoudd. The complaint, lodged by FA President Hany Abo Rida, demands the exclusion of the French refereeing crew from the remainder of the tournament due to what Egypt describes as crucial mistakes.
Match Controversy
Argentina came from 2-0 down to secure a dramatic victory in the final minutes, but the result was overshadowed by several contentious refereeing decisions. Egypt had a goal disallowed for a foul before they took a two-goal lead, and there were question marks over a potential penalty for Egypt in the build-up to Argentina's eventual winner.
The Egyptian players and coaching staff were visibly furious after the match, leading the FA to take drastic action. Hossam Hassan, Egypt's manager, did not hold back in his criticism, accusing the referee of bias towards Lionel Messi.
Manager's Outburst
Speaking in a news conference after the game, Hassan said: "It's all about money. They want Messi to stay in the tournament. In football, many things happen off the pitch because of interests. What happened was unfair. Egypt deserved to qualify. We were the better team."
He added: "Why isn't there any fairness in sport? I do not want to try to put it nicely here with beautiful wording. We have been treated unfairly today. We have suffered injustice. It is my own way of speaking up and standing up. I am not going to watch another match in this tournament."
"Life is unfair. The world is unfair," Hassan continued. "Okay, but why isn't there any fairness in sports? I'm not convinced by this outcome and by the way things unfolded in this match. The referee is unfair, God is sufficient for me and the best disposer of affairs. He's wasting the effort of an entire nation. The cup is directed towards Argentina."
Next Matches
Argentina will face Switzerland in the World Cup quarter-final, with the winner set to play either England or Norway. On the other side of the draw, Morocco faces France, and Spain takes on Belgium.
