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Rabat – A former Egyptian FIFA referee has pushed back against the growing wave of criticism surrounding the officiating in Egypt’s dramatic World Cup defeat to Argentina, arguing that the referee’s decisions did not influence the outcome of the match.
Speaking to Egyptian broadcaster TeN, former international referee Mohamed Adel said the focus on refereeing only intensified after Egypt’s elimination and insisted that the match should be viewed objectively
“Let’s talk about the refereeing logically,” Adel said. “The referee was not the reason we lost. In fact, he could have awarded more fouls against us and chose not to. We only started focusing on his decisions after the defeat.”
His comments come amid widespread outrage following Egypt’s controversial 3-2 loss to Argentina in the World Cup round of 16, a match that sparked intense debate over several refereeing decisions.
The closing stages of the game were particularly contentious, with Egyptian fans and football figures questioning a series of calls, including the disallowing of Mostafa Ziko’s goal after a VAR review and the referee’s decision not to award Egypt a penalty during the match.
Adel, however, maintained that the criticism has overshadowed the broader picture.
He stressed that the majority of the referee’s decisions were correct and rejected suggestions that the officiating contained significant errors in the incidents that generated the most debate among supporters.
According to Adel, the result reflected the course of the match rather than the referee’s performance.
His assessment contrasts sharply with the views expressed by Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan, who accused officials of denying his side fair treatment after the match, as well as several former players, coaches, and analysts who argued that key decisions went against the Pharaohs.
Egypt’s World Cup journey came to an end after Argentina completed a dramatic comeback from two goals down to book its place in the quarterfinals, ending what had been one of the Pharaohs’ most memorable tournament campaigns.
