Argentina's victory has been marred by controversy, with several key decisions going in their favor. A tackle by Alvarez on Mohamed Salah inside the penalty box appeared to make contact with the player's foot before the ball, but no foul was called. Immediately after, Alexis Mac Allister seemed to pull Hamdi Fathy, but again, no action was taken.
Egypt had already had a goal ruled out earlier in the game, with a VAR check deeming that Lisandro Martinez had been fouled in the build-up to the score. The Egyptian Football Association has demanded a formal investigation into the refereeing decisions, requesting that the match official and his team be excluded from refereeing for the remainder of the competition.
The Egyptian team is furious about the disallowed goal and the two infringements that took place moments before Argentina's third goal. They accuse the officials and the competition of favoring the defending world champions. The team's coaching staff and players have been vocal about their dissatisfaction, with one player saying the referee was unfair and persecuted them from the start of the match.
The head coach of the Egyptian team has launched a scathing attack on the match officials and FIFA, accusing them of going to extreme lengths to keep the reigning champions in the competition. He claims that external factors, including pressure from the Argentina side, influenced the outcome of the game. The coach also expressed his disappointment and frustration, saying that his team was treated unfairly and that the outcome was an injustice.
The controversy surrounding the game has sparked heated debate, with many questioning the fairness of the refereeing decisions. The Egyptian team's demands for an investigation have yet to be addressed, and it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold. For now, the team is left to ponder what could have been, had the decisions gone in their favor.
