The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has criticized the refereeing decisions in Egypt's dramatic 3-2 World Cup round-of-16 defeat by Argentina, saying it will not remain silent over what it described as the improper use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.
The EFA said on Wednesday that several decisions during the match had directly affected the outcome. Egypt appeared on course for one of the biggest upsets of the tournament when they led defending champions Argentina 2-0 with 11 minutes remaining, only to concede three late goals and crash out.
"Several key incidents raised serious concerns and left profound questions about the consistency and fairness of decisions that directly influenced the course of the game," the federation said in a statement. It added that football experts and analysts have highlighted controversial refereeing incidents.
According to media reports, EFA President Hany Abo Rida has submitted an official complaint against French referee Francois Letexier and his assistants. FIFA has not responded to Al Jazeera's request for comment.
Much of the controversy centered on a goal by Egypt's Mostafa Zico in the 62nd minute that was disallowed after a VAR review identified a foul in the build-up. Egypt's frustration deepened when their appeals for a penalty after Hamdy Fathy went down were waved away, before Argentina scored the winner in the 92nd minute.
Sport industry expert Simon Chadwick questioned why VAR officials intervened if the on-field officials did not call a foul. He suggested that fans should be able to hear the assessment of alleged offenses. "This technology was supposed to minimize doubt and bring consistency. Instead, its use during this match had significant cognitive and behavioral effects," he said.
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan and captain Mohamed Salah expressed disappointment, while former players and pundits also questioned the officiating. Former England goalkeeper Rob Green, ex-captain Alan Shearer, and other analysts criticized the inconsistency of VAR decisions, with Shearer noting, "Either both are fouls, or neither is."
Source: www.aljazeera.com