FIFA suspends Egypt coach Hassan for three matches — TimesLIVE

FIFA has suspended Egypt national team head coach Hossam Hassan for three matches and forward Mostafa Zico for five matches following criticism of the referee in the World Cup match against Argentina. The sanctions were announced by the Egyptian Football Association, according to TimesLIVE.

Sanctions after the match against Argentina

Egypt lost 2-3 to Argentina in the round of 16. After the match, 60-year-old Hassan said that refereeing mistakes had affected his team’s elimination from the tournament. Zico insulted the referee in a post-match interview.

Ibrahim Hassan, the head coach’s twin brother and director of Egypt’s national team, was also suspended for three matches. The Egyptian Football Association said that Hossam and Ibrahim Hassan would each miss three matches, while Zico was suspended for five games.

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Possible appeal

The Egyptian Football Association requested a detailed justification of the decision from FIFA’s disciplinary committee in order to assess its legal options and determine whether it would file an appeal.

In the match against Argentina, Zico had a goal disallowed because of a foul at the start of the attack. At the end of the match, with the score at 2-2, Egyptian players also demanded that a penalty be awarded. FIFA refereeing department head Pierluigi Collina defended the officials’ work, saying that such accusations could lead to threats against referees and their families.

Hossam and Ibrahim Hassan may miss Egypt’s November matches against Malawi in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying, as well as the first match of the international window in March. Zico will be unable to play until June.