Egypt striker Mostafa Ziko launched a scathing attack on match officials following a 3-2 defeat to defending champions Argentina in the World Cup last 16, claiming the referees were unfair and claiming “the game has been decided.”“Egypt were looking to pull off one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history after taking a 2-0 lead in the 67th minute. However, Argentina staged a stunning comeback under Cristian Romero; Lionel Messi Enzo Fernandez scored inside 13 minutes to send the three-time world champions into the quarter-finals.One of the decisive moments of the game came early in the second half when Zico scored, but the goal was overturned after a VAR review. The referee ruled that the Egyptian forward had committed a foul during the attack. Although Zico later scored, the disallowed shot became a crucial moment in the game.After the final whistle, an emotional Zico questioned the referee in an interview with the broadcaster and said that the result of the game was affected by the referee.“Unfair, unfair, referee, unfair. Unjust, clear injustice. He wasted the efforts of an entire country. From the very beginning of the game, he was against us. We cannot leave with a 2-0 win over Argentina. The game is determined. God is enough for us, he is the best handler.”The Egypt striker also apologized to fans and insisted the players had done their best.“We wanted to make them happy today. We couldn’t. But I swear this is out of our control. It’s in the hands of the referee. The game was set, it was obvious anyway. “In the 15th minute, Yasser Ibrahim scored with a header from Marwan Attiyah’s corner kick, giving the Egyptian team a dream start. Argentina had an immediate chance to respond after Nicolás Tagliafico won a penalty, but goalkeeper Mostafa Schobel made a fine save to deny Messi.Schobel went on to block shots from defending champions Alexis McAllister and Julian Alvarez, while Messi also hit the crossbar with a free-kick to give Egypt a 1-0 lead at the break.The Pharaohs believed they had doubled their lead through Zico shortly after the restart, but VAR intervened and the goal was disallowed. The Egyptian team responded positively and ended up 2-0 in the 67th minute. Mohamed Salah and Haissem Hassan teamed up to help Ziko complete clinical termination.Argentina’s response was swift. In the 79th minute, Romero received a header from Messi’s free kick to reduce the score. Four minutes later, Messi leveled the score with a powerful shot that grazed the goalkeeper’s glove and flew under the crossbar.With extra time approaching, Enzo Fernandez completed a dramatic comeback in stoppage time, collecting a loose ball on the edge of the area and firing a low shot into the bottom corner.Argentina’s 3-2 victory ensured they advanced to the quarter-finals, where they will face the top 16 teams Switzerland and Colombia on July 8.
