Hassan: 'What Happened to Us Wasn't Fair' as Egypt Bow Out to Argentina

Egypt Coach Hassan slams refereeing after 'unjust' World Cup exit

Egypt led 2-0 late but conceded three goals to a Messi-inspired Argentina. Coach Hassan called the defeat 'unjust' and quit watching the tournament.

Egypt Coach Hassan turns back on World Cup after late Argentina comeback...

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said on Tuesday he won’t watch the rest of the ⁠World Cup, blaming refereeing mistakes for Egypt’s painful exit to Argentina.

Egypt ‌were ahead 2-0 with 11 minutes left in their round-of-16 match against defending champions Argentina, on the verge of one of the biggest World ‌Cup upsets ever, before giving up three late goals and crashing out.

Argentina, led by a Lionel Messi-driven comeback, tore Egypt apart late on, but Hassan said his side had been the better team.

“I'm going home and won't be watching any more games from the tournament,” he told a ‌press conference.

“What happened to us wasn't fair. We ⁠should have had a penalty, a ‌goal was disallowed, and I don't know why it was disallowed.”

Egypt went ahead in the 62nd minute through Mostafa Zico, but VAR spotted a foul in the build-up and ruled it out.

They were also furious over a shout for a late penalty following a pull on Hamdy Fathy, and that frustration grew when Argentina raced upfield and netted a 92nd-minute winner.

“Even if the goals came from mistakes, the biggest mistake is not getting what you're entitled to from those responsible for making the decisions,” said Hassan, whose press conference was a long litany of complaints.

“I'm ‌the type of person who hates losing. And when it's a defeat that feels unjust like today's, I can only tell the fans not to be upset. We wanted so much to give them more joy,” he added.

“But what made me happy was that my players followed the game plan on many occasions and worked very well.”

Egypt started the game far more attacking than usual - a shift from Hassan’s typical approach of sitting deep in a compact defence and hitting teams on the break.

That aggressive start helped them go ahead early, and goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir’s standout saves were what kept them in front going into halftime.

“I'm very, very satisfied with the effort they put in. Most of our players come from the Egyptian domestic league, while many players in other national teams are based in Europe and live in that professional environment,” Hassan added.

“Yet with ⁠predominantly local players - besides Mohamed ⁠Salah and Omar Marmoush - we ‌were able to compete with anyone.”