FIFA Suspends Egypt Coach Hossam Hassan for Three Matches and Mostafa Zico for Five
FIFA has suspended Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan for three matches and forward Mostafa Zico for five matches. The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced the decision on Monday, October 19. Hassan's twin brother, Ibrahim Hassan, who is Egypt's national team director, has also been suspended for three matches.
The bans come after Egypt's 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup round of 16. That result ended Egypt's tournament. Hassan, who is 60, blamed refereeing errors for the exit. Zico insulted the referee in a post-match interview. Reports say he described the tournament as rigged. Hassan was also reported to have made confrontational gestures towards the referee, François Letexier, including a sign about racism. These incidents formed the basis of FIFA's disciplinary action.
Zico had a goal ruled out for a foul in the build-up. Late in the game, with the score at 2-2, Egypt's players appealed for a penalty. FIFA's head of refereeing, Pierluigi Collina, defended the officiating. He said that such allegations can provoke threats against referees and their families.
The suspensions could rule Hossam and Ibrahim Hassan out of Egypt's two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Malawi in November. They would also miss the first match of the March international window. Zico will be unavailable until June.
The EFA said it has asked FIFA's Disciplinary Committee for the detailed grounds of the decision. It wants to study its legal options and decide whether to appeal. The statement from the federation confirmed that Hossam Hassan and Ibrahim Hassan were suspended for three matches each, and that Zico received five.
Hossam Hassan is one of the best-known names in Egyptian football. He is nicknamed "Egypt's General". He is also the national team's all-time top scorer as a player, with 69 goals. He played for Egypt at the 1990 World Cup. He now leads the side as head coach.
Egypt's next matches are the AFCON qualifiers against Malawi next month. The team will have to manage without its coach and team director in the dugout if the ban stands and the appeal does not succeed.