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The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has filed an official complaint with FIFA, requesting an independent investigation into refereeing decisions made during yesterday’s World Cup match between Egypt and Argentina. The complaint alleges serious refereeing mistakes and double standards from the full VAR team, led by French referee François Letexier.
The controversy surrounds the 3-2 loss for Egypt, which came after Argentina staged a late comeback to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Prior to their dramatic turnaround, Egypt had taken a 2-0 lead, only to concede a flurry of goals in the final minutes of the match. According to Egypt coach Hossam Hassan, the refereeing decisions made during the match were biased and unfairly cost his team a place in the quarter-finals.
Speaking after the match, Hassan expressed his frustration and disappointment, claiming that the match was “rigged” from start to finish. He accused officials of failing to enforce the rules of the game fairly, pointing to a decision that saw a potential penalty awarded to Egypt’s Mo Salah disallowed without even being checked by the VAR team.
“We have been cheated unfairly today,” Hassan stated, reiterating that his team “deserved to qualify” for the next round of the tournament. The EFA has since backed Hassan’s claims, filing a formal complaint with FIFA, which has accepted their request for an investigation.
In a statement, Egyptian Football Association President Hany Aburida called for an immediate review of the refereeing decisions made during the match. Aburida urged FIFA to take action against Letexier and the VAR team if it is found that they committed errors or engaged in any form of match-fixing.
“We expect FIFA to take our complaint seriously and launch a thorough investigation into these serious allegations,” Aburida said, adding that the association demanded the removal of Letexier and the VAR crew from the rest of the tournament if wrongdoing is confirmed.
FIFA has confirmed that an independent investigation into the matter will be launched, with a decision expected to be made in the coming days.