Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett has stated that FIFA will likely take action after a VAR controversy in the World Cup match between Belgium and Egypt. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, but Hackett believes Belgium's equalizer should have been disallowed due to a procedural error in the build-up.
Match Summary
Belgium and Egypt played out a 1-1 draw in their Group G clash at Seattle Stadium on Monday. Emam Ashour opened the scoring for Egypt in the first half, assisted by outgoing Liverpool star Mohamed Salah. Belgium responded in the second half when Romelu Lukaku forced an own goal from Mohamed Hany, though initial checks confirmed it was not a Lukaku goal.
Controversial Free-Kick
Hackett, a former PGMOL chief, explained that the free-kick leading to Belgium's goal was taken approximately 15 yards closer to the goal than where the foul occurred. He described this as a clear and obvious error that should have been corrected by VAR.
"This is a poor piece of officiating, not ensuring that the ball is positioned correctly at the point where the foul took place," Hackett told Football Insider. "The free-kick was taken from an advanced position approximately 15 yards forward from where the foul took place. This clear and obvious error by the referee should have resulted in the intervention of the VAR. The outcome should have been a disallowed goal, and the restart a free-kick at the position where the original offence took place."
FIFA Review Expected
Hackett added that FIFA's referees management will likely review the performance and provide operational advice to the officials. "I have no doubt that in reviewing this performance, the FIFA referees management will be giving the referee some appropriate operational advice," he said.
Group G Standings
Both Belgium and Egypt have two group games remaining to reach the knockout stages, which now include a round-of-32 phase. The other Group G match also ended in a draw, with New Zealand and Iran playing out a 2-2 stalemate in Los Angeles.
