The Egyptian Football Association announced on Monday that it had received decisions from FIFA's Disciplinary Committee to suspend national team coach Hossam Hassan and his brother Ibrahim Hassan, the team manager, for three matches each, and player Mustafa Abdel Raouf "Zico" for five matches.
The association stated in a press release that the sanctions were a result of incidents during Egypt's Round of 16 match against Argentina at the 2026 World Cup.
It added that it had submitted a request to FIFA's Disciplinary Committee for the detailed reasons and grounds for the decisions, in preparation for studying them, assessing the legal situation, and taking necessary steps for an appeal in accordance with applicable regulations.
Match Details and Criticisms
The incident dates back to the Egypt vs. Argentina match in the Round of 16 of the World Cup, which ended with a 3-2 victory for the Argentine national team and witnessed Egyptian protests against several refereeing decisions.
Among those decisions was the disallowance of a goal scored by Zico due to an alleged infringement, alongside demands for a penalty kick to be awarded to Egypt in the final minutes.
Reactions and Statements
Following the match, Hossam Hassan criticized the refereeing decisions, hinting at favoritism towards Argentina and its star Lionel Messi for marketing reasons, and announced his intention not to follow the rest of the tournament's competitions.
Zico also criticized the performance of French referee Francois Letexier, considering his decisions unfair.
Disciplinary Measures
FIFA had initiated disciplinary proceedings against the trio last August, following the incidents and statements after the match, before notifying the Egyptian Football Association of the sanctions issued against them.
The Egyptian Football Association did not disclose the detailed grounds for each sanction in its statement, confirming that it is awaiting clarifications from the competent committee before determining its next legal steps.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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