The key facts

  • Hossam Hassan and Ibrahim Hassan suspended for three matches, Mostafa Zico for five
  • Decisions relate to Egypt's 3:2 defeat to Argentina on 6 July in Atlanta in the World Cup round of 16
  • The Egyptian Football Association requested justifications from FIFA and is preparing an appeal

Suspensions after the Argentina match

FIFA suspended Egypt national team head coach Hossam Hassan for three matches following his comments about the refereeing in the World Cup round-of-16 match against Argentina, the Egyptian Football Association said on Monday. According to the association, the FIFA disciplinary committee's decisions also concern team manager Ibrahim Hassan, suspended for three matches, and striker Mostafa Zico, who received a five-match suspension.

Circumstances of the match

The sanctions are linked to Egypt's 3:2 defeat to Argentina in Atlanta (USA) on 6 July. Egypt led 2:0 but let the advantage slip and were eliminated from the tournament. The team was angered by a number of refereeing decisions, including the disallowance of a goal early in the second half; after Argentina's winning goal, one member of Egypt's coaching staff received a red card. After the match, Hossam Hassan said the opponents had 'deceived' Egypt out of a quarter-final place.

Reaction of the Egyptian association

The Egyptian Football Association said it had requested from FIFA 'the detailed reasons and justifications for the decisions' in order to assess legal options and prepare an appeal. According to the association, the suspension of the Hassan brothers may deprive them of the opportunity to take part in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Malawi in November, as well as in the first match of the March international window. Zico's five-match suspension, as expected, will keep him from playing until June.