An Egyptian FA official has suggested the national team’s 2026 World Cup elimination was the result of biased officiating tied to the head coach’s Palestinian political activism.
Following his country’s 3-2 loss to Argentina, EFA board member Mustafa Abu Zahra implied that controversial refereeing decisions were retaliation for coach Hossam Hassan’s vocal support for Gaza.
“Palestine is the concern of every Egyptian,” he said. “If what we went through in the match was because of Hossam Hassan’s support for the Palestinian cause, then we have gained by supporting the cause and sending a message to our brothers that we stand with them.”
That support includes Hassan's earlier decision to dedicate a victory "to all the martyrs in Gaza” after bringing a Palestinian flag on the pitch as The Pharaohs celebrated advancing to the Round of 16.
After blowing a 2-0 lead and getting eliminated in the match against Argentina, the coach also engaged in a touchline confrontation with fans waving an Israeli flag, alleging they were hurling racist insults at him, which was not proven.
Abu Zahra’s remarks comes after the Wikipedia page for the French referee who took charge of the Argentina game was changed to state that he is Jewish, leading Egyptian fans to blame Israel, Jews and Zionism for their team’s loss.
The “early life” section on Letexier’s Wikipedia page was altered to suggest he was born into an Orthodox Jewish family in Brittany and that his grandfather was an active member of the French Resistance during the Second World War.
In the wake of the change, several Egyptian fans shared screenshots of the page claiming that the referee’s now-debunked Jewishness played a role in his alleged bias against their team.
The Wikipedia entry was subsequently reverted to remove the false reference to Letexier’s Jewish upbringing, with editors stating that there was no evidence to support the claim and no reliable sourcing confirming where it originated.
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