FIFA Suspends Egypt Coach Hossam Hassan for 3 Matches, Mostafa Zico for 5

FIFA has suspended Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan for three matches and forward Mostafa Zico for five games following their criticism of the referee after Egypt’s 3–2 defeat to Argentina at the World Cup.

According to Reuters, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced the sanctions on Monday. Egypt’s national team director, Ibrahim Hassan, who is Hossam’s twin brother, was also handed a three-match suspension.

Hossam was punished for blaming refereeing errors for Egypt’s elimination from the tournament in the last 16. Zico, meanwhile, received a five-match ban for insulting the referee during a post-match interview.

The EFA said it had requested the detailed grounds for the decisions from FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee. The association said it would review the information to determine its legal options, including whether to appeal the sanctions.

The disciplinary action followed a controversial sequence of decisions during Egypt’s defeat to Argentina. Zico had a goal ruled out for a foul in the build-up, while Egypt’s players later appealed for a penalty when the score was 2–2.

However, FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina defended the officiating and warned that allegations against referees could expose them and their families to threats.

The suspensions could disrupt Egypt’s preparations for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Malawi in November. Hossam and Ibrahim Hassan could miss those fixtures and the opening match of the March international window, while Zico’s five-match ban could keep him out of Egypt’s matches until June.