By Adegboyega Adeleye
FIFA has suspended Egypt coach Hossam Hassan for three matches and forward Mostafa Zico for five games following their criticism of the referee after the country’s 3-2 defeat by Argentina at the World Cup.
According to Reuters, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced the sanctions on Monday, adding that Egypt’s national team director, Ibrahim Hassan, the twin brother of Hossam, had also received a three-match suspension.
Hossam was sanctioned for blaming refereeing errors for Egypt’s elimination from the tournament in the last 16, while Zico was punished for insulting the referee during a post-match interview.
The EFA confirmed the disciplinary decisions in a statement, saying it had requested the detailed grounds for the sanctions from FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee to assess its legal options and determine whether to appeal.
The controversy followed a disputed sequence of decisions during Egypt’s defeat to Argentina, with Zico having a goal disallowed for a foul in the build-up before Egypt’s players appealed for a penalty late in the match when the score was 2-2.
However, FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina defended the officiating, warning that allegations against referees could expose them and their families to threats.
The suspensions could affect Egypt’s preparations for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Malawi in November, with Hossam and Ibrahim Hassan potentially missing those fixtures and the opening match of the March international window.
Zico’s five-match suspension could keep him out of action for Egypt until June.
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