Egypt coach Hossam Hassan criticized the refereeing in his team's 1-1 Group G draw with Belgium, telling USA Today that Egypt should have been awarded a penalty that was not granted.
'We had a penalty that was absolutely 100%. I am shocked that the referee did not even look at VAR,' Hassan said. 'If it had been in our favor, it would definitely have been given.'
Hassan emphasized Egypt's status as a quality team despite the result. 'Egypt is not a small team. We were close to winning,' he stated, highlighting his belief that his team had done enough to earn victory.
Egypt will face New Zealand on June 22 in its second Group G match. The group includes Iran and Belgium, with multiple teams competing for two qualification places after the opening round of matches.
→ Match stats and preview on ScanGoal