Egypt boss blames 'unfair' refereeing after Argentina heartbreak

The Pharaohs conceded three goals in 13 minutes to reigning champions Argentina, but Hassan's side was undone by a sequence of controversial decisions in the closing stages.

Enzo Fernandez's 92nd-minute header proved decisive, yet arrived under a cloud of dispute. VAR did not review what Hassan claimed was a penalty after Julian Alvarez tackled Mohamed Salah in the area, nor a separate incident involving Alexis Mac Allister pulling down Hamdi Fathy.

Egypt also had a goal from Zico ruled out following a VAR check that deemed Lisandro Martinez had been fouled in the build-up when the score stood at 1-0.

At his post-match press conference, Hassan questioned the fundamental fairness of the competition. "Why isn't there any fairness in sports?" he asked, before declaring: "The referee is unfair" and claiming the tournament was "directed towards Argentina."

Hassan was booked by French referee Francois Letexier for protesting Fernandez's goal. Zico, who scored but also had another effort disallowed, echoed his manager's frustration, telling reporters: "The refereeing was obvious in front of everyone."

Argentina progressed to face Switzerland in the quarter-final. Sky Sports News approached FIFA for comment on the officiating.