Connect with us

Sports

World Cup: We’ve suffered grave injustice, Egypt coach laments after loss to Argentina

Published

on

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

Egypt head coach, Hossam Hassan, has said his side suffered “injustice” in their World Cup Round of 16 defeat to Argentina, and declared he would not follow the remainder of the tournament as a result.

Argentina came from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2 in Atlanta on Tuesday, with Cristian Romero and Lionel Messi cancelling out Egypt’s early lead before Enzo Fernandez struck deep into stoppage time to send the defending champions into the quarter-finals.

Speaking after the match, through FIFA’s official translation, Hassan said the outcome went beyond the result on the pitch.

“I think the effect of this outcome goes beyond the defeated seat. We haven’t seen respect nor fair play.

Advertisement

“I’m not convinced with this outcome, with the way things unfolded in this match. I do not want to try to put it nicely with beautiful wording, selective words, saying hard luck and so and so forth. We’ve been treated unfairly today. We’ve suffered injustice,” he said.

He added that he believed there were issues both on and off the pitch that needed scrutiny.

“There are a lot of things to be questioned on and off the pitch, negative aspects all around,” Hassan said.

Hassan said he would not be watching any further matches at the tournament following Egypt’s exit.

Advertisement

The Round of 16 finish was Egypt’s best World Cup outing since 1934, and came at the country’s first appearance at the tournament since 2018.

Hassan’s comments followed a heated exchange with French referee, Francois Letexier, at the final whistle, during which the Egyptian coach suggested the official had “something to hide.”

Egypt had led 2-0 before Argentina’s comeback, and were aggrieved by two decisions in particular — a goal ruled out following a VAR review, and a non-review of a challenge inside the penalty area involving captain Mohamed Salah late in the match.

Egypt’s players echoed Hassan’s frustration after the game, with several accusing the referee of bias, though FIFA is yet to issue a formal response to the allegations.

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Sports

Switzerland beat Colombia on penalties to reach World Cup quarter-finals

Published

on

By

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

Switzerland booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals after defeating Colombia 4-3 in a dramatic penalty shootout following a goalless 120 minutes in their Round of 16 clash at BC Place in Vancouver.

The two sides, on Tuesday, failed to find a breakthrough during regulation or extra time despite creating several opportunities.

Colombia came closest through Jhon Lucumí, whose effort struck the crossbar, while Switzerland threatened through Zeki Amdouni and Ruben Vargas, but neither side could break the deadlock.

In the shootout, Switzerland held their nerve to prevail 4-3, sealing their place in the last eight where they will face defending champions, Argentina.

Advertisement

The victory completes the quarter-final lineup after a tense and evenly contested encounter that was decided only from the penalty spot.

Continue Reading

Sports

Lionel Messi Breaks 96-Year FIFA World Cup Record

Published

on

By

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

Lionel Messi continued his remarkable run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, scoring again as Argentina came from behind to defeat Egypt 3-2 in a dramatic Round of 16 clash.

The Argentina captain found the net against the Pharaohs to extend his scoring streak at the tournament to five consecutive matches.

Combined with his final four appearances at the 2022 World Cup, Messi has now scored in nine straight World Cup matches, setting a new record in the history of the competition.

The 39-year-old had previously equalled the mark against Austria before moving clear with his goal against Egypt.

Advertisement

Messi Equals Stábile’s 1930 Record

Messi’s goal against Egypt was his eighth of the 2026 tournament, drawing him level with Argentine great Guillermo Stábile for the most goals scored by an Argentina player at a single FIFA World Cup.

Stábile set the long-standing record at the inaugural World Cup in 1930.

Despite the difference in tournament formats between 1930 and the modern competition, both players reached the eight-goal mark in just five matches.

Advertisement

Messi began his 2026 campaign with a hat-trick against Algeria before scoring another treble against Austria. He later added goals against Jordan, Cape Verde and Egypt to take his tally to eight.

Stábile, on the other hand, scored three times against Mexico, twice against Chile, two more in the semi-final against the United States and once in the final against Uruguay.

The strike against Egypt also added another country to the list of nations Messi has scored against at the World Cup.

No player has scored against more different national teams in World Cup history than the Argentine captain, with Egypt becoming the latest side to concede against him on football’s biggest stage.

Advertisement

Messi also strengthened his position as the competition’s all-time leading scorer, taking his World Cup tally to 21 goals as Argentina advanced to the quarter-finals.

Messi’s most prolific World Cup performances have come in the closing years of his international career.

After scoring seven goals during Argentina’s victorious 2022 campaign, he has already surpassed that figure at the 2026 tournament with eight goals.

Remarkably, Messi scored only six World Cup goals across his first four tournaments between 2006 and 2018.

Advertisement

His latest exploits underline a stunning transformation in his scoring output, with the Argentine captain continuing to rewrite football history at 39.

Continue Reading

Sports

Argentina from behind wallop Egypt 3-2, hits World Cup Quarter-finals

Published

on

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

Argentina comeback to overturn a two-goal lead and wallop Egypt 3-2 in a thrilling FIFA World Cup Round of 16 encounter on Tuesday, booking their place in the quarter-finals.Soccer

The South American giants looked destined for a shock exit after Egypt raced into a two-goal lead through Youssef Ibrahim El Hanafi and Mohamed Zaki Abdelraouf.

El Hanafi opened the scoring in the 15th minute, giving the Pharaohs an early advantage before Abdelraouf doubled the lead in the 67th minute, leaving Lionel Messi and his teammates with a mountain to climb.

However, Argentina mounted a remarkable fightback in the closing stages of the contest.

Advertisement

Cristian Romero sparked the revival in the 79th minute, heading home to halve the deficit and breathe life into Argentina’s hopes.

Just four minutes later, captain Lionel Messi restored parity with a clinical finish in the 83rd minute, sending the Mercedes-Benz Stadium into celebration as Argentina drew level at 2-2.

With extra time looming, Enzo Fernández completed the stunning turnaround in stoppage time, firing home the decisive goal in the 90+2nd minute to seal an unforgettable 3-2 victory.

The dramatic win ensured Argentina progressed to the quarter-finals after one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament, while Egypt bowed out despite producing a spirited display and coming within minutes of a famous upset.

Advertisement

Argentina will now shift their attention to the quarter-finals as they continue their quest for another FIFA World Cup title.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 Naija Blitz News