Egypt coach Hossam Hassan will not be watching any more of the World Cup, he said on Tuesday, blaming refereeing errors for his country’s heartbreaking elimination from the ​tournament at the hands of Argentina.

Egypt were 2-0 up with 11 minutes left ‌of their last 16 clash against the holders Argentina, agonisingly close to one of the great World Cup upsets, only to concede three goals in the closing stages and go out.

They were picked apart at the end of ​the game by a Lionel Messi-inspired comeback, but Hassan insisted his team were better.

“I’m going ​home and won’t be watching any more games from the tournament,” he ⁠told a press conference.

“What happened to us wasn’t fair. We should have had a penalty; a ​goal was disallowed, and I don’t know why it was disallowed.”

Egypt netted in the 62nd minute ​through Mostafa Zico, but a VAR check found there was a foul from the Egyptians in the buildup.

They also claimed a late penalty after a tug on Hamdy Fathy, and their anger was exacerbated by Argentina going down ​the other end and scoring a 92nd-minute winner.

“Even if the goals came from mistakes, the ​biggest mistake is not getting what you’re entitled to from those responsible for making the decisions,” said Hassan, whose ‌press conference was a litany of complaints.

“I’m the type of person who hates losing. And when it’s a defeat that feels unjust like today’s, I can only tell the fans not to be upset. We wanted so much to give them more joy,” he added.

“But what made me happy ​was that my players ​followed the game plan ⁠on many occasions and worked very well.”

Egypt had been surprisingly attacking early on in the game, a departure from Hassan’s usual tactic of playing ​with a tight defence and looking for counter-attack opportunities.

It helped them take ​an early ⁠lead, but it was the heroics of goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir that ensured they remained in front by halftime.

“I’m very, very satisfied with the effort they put in. Most of our players come from the ⁠Egyptian ​domestic league, while many players in other national teams are ​based in Europe and live in that professional environment,” Hassan added.

“Yet with predominantly local players — besides Mohamed Salah and Omar ​Marmoush — we were able to compete with anyone.”

 

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Switzerland ended a 72-year wait for a FIFA World Cup quarter-final appearance on Tuesday night, holding their nerve in a dramatic penalty shootout to beat Colombia 4-3 after 120 minutes of goalless football in Vancouver.

The hard-fought victory at BC Place sent the Swiss into the last eight for the first time since hosting the tournament in 1954 and set up a mouth-watering clash with defending champions Argentina national football team in Kansas City.

After neither side could find a breakthrough during regulation time or extra time, the contest was settled from the penalty spot, where Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel emerged as the hero.

The shootout tilted in Switzerland’s favour when Davinson Sanchez struck the crossbar for Colombia before Kobel produced a crucial save to deny Cucho Hernandez. Although Manuel Akanji missed Switzerland’s third kick by blasting over the bar, Ruben Vargas calmly converted the decisive penalty to spark wild celebrations among the Swiss players.

For Colombia, it was a painful exit. The South Americans had hoped to reach the World Cup quarter-finals for only the second time in their history, following their memorable run to the last eight in Brazil in 2014.

The match itself was a tense and tactical battle, with chances at a premium.

Colombia came closest in the first half when midfielder Gustavo Puerta curled a fine effort towards the far corner in the 21st minute, only for Kobel to produce a magnificent diving save. Switzerland responded almost immediately, but Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas was equal to Fabian Rieder’s effort from a difficult angle.

As the match wore on, both sides struggled to break down disciplined defences. Swiss winger Dan Ndoye nearly stole victory in stoppage time, timing his run perfectly before dragging a low shot agonisingly wide of the far post.

Extra time brought even more drama. Colombia defender Jhon Lucumi thought he had delivered the decisive moment when he rose unmarked from a corner, only to see his powerful header crash against the crossbar. It was the closest either team came to scoring all evening.

The Colombians arrived in Vancouver with one of the tournament’s most impressive defensive records, having conceded just one goal throughout their campaign. Their resilience was again evident, but ultimately it was not enough to prevent elimination.

Switzerland, meanwhile, overcame a significant setback before kick-off. Rising star Johan Manzambi, the 20-year-old sensation who had contributed three goals and two assists during the tournament, was ruled out with a knee contusion suffered in training.

The atmosphere inside BC Place heavily favoured Colombia. Thousands of supporters dressed in yellow transformed the stadium into what felt like a home venue, creating a deafening wall of noise whenever their team attacked and jeering the Swiss whenever they had possession.

Yet when the decisive moment arrived, it was Switzerland who kept their composure.

Their reward is a quarter-final showdown against Lionel Messi and defending champions Argentina, who earlier staged a remarkable comeback from two goals down to defeat the Egypt national football team 3-2.

With confidence growing and history already made, the Swiss will now attempt to pull off another upset and continue their remarkable World Cup journey.

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BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Argentina produced one of the greatest comebacks in FIFA World Cup history on Tuesday, recovering from a two-goal deficit to beat Egypt 3-2 and book their place in the quarter-finals after an astonishing 13-minute blitz that shattered African hopes.

For more than 80 minutes, Egypt looked destined to spring one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. Instead, the Pharaohs suffered a heartbreaking collapse as the familiar curse of failing to manage the closing stages of crucial matches returned to haunt another African side.

Having led 2-0 and still holding that advantage with barely 11 minutes remaining, Egypt watched in disbelief as the defending champions launched a relentless assault that turned the contest completely on its head.

The dramatic victory sends Argentina into the last eight, where they will face either Switzerland or Colombia, while Egypt depart the tournament wondering how victory slipped from their grasp.

The North Africans had made a dream start.

Their confidence, built on a national-record four-match unbeaten run at the World Cup, was evident from the opening whistle. Defender Yasser Ibrahim stunned the South Americans by rising highest to head home the opening goal, sending Egyptian supporters into wild celebrations.

Argentina struggled to recover from the early setback and their frustrations deepened when captain Lionel Messi squandered a golden opportunity to level the scores, seeing his penalty brilliantly saved.

That miss appeared destined to define the evening.

When Mostafa Ziko doubled Egypt’s advantage midway through the second half, the African side looked firmly in control and on course for one of the most memorable victories in their football history.

Argentina, meanwhile, appeared to be heading for a shock elimination.

But champions possess a habit of refusing to surrender.

The revival began when Cristian Romero powered home to halve the deficit and inject fresh belief into Lionel Scaloni’s side.

Moments later, Messi made amends for his penalty miss by firing home the equaliser, scoring his eighth goal of the tournament to move clear at the top of the Golden Boot standings.

The equaliser completely transformed the atmosphere inside the stadium.

Suddenly, it was Egypt who looked rattled.

Deep into added time came the decisive moment.

Midfielder Enzo Fernandez rose superbly to head home Argentina’s dramatic winner, completing an extraordinary comeback and sealing a place in World Cup history.

The goal was significant for more than one reason.

Not only did it complete Argentina’s remarkable turnaround from 2-0 down, but it also became the 3,000th goal scored in FIFA World Cup history since the inaugural tournament in Uruguay in 1930.

For Argentina, it was another chapter in their rich World Cup folklore, demonstrating the resilience and fighting spirit that have defined so many of their greatest triumphs.

For Egypt, however, the defeat will be remembered as one of the cruellest in the nation’s football history.

Having defended resolutely for most of the contest, the Pharaohs were unable to withstand Argentina’s late onslaught, joining the growing list of African teams whose promising campaigns have unravelled in the closing stages of knockout matches.

It was a bitter ending to an otherwise outstanding tournament for Egypt, whose disciplined performances had captured the imagination of African football followers.

Yet the night ultimately belonged to Argentina.

From the brink of elimination to the euphoria of qualification in just 13 breathtaking minutes, the world champions once again proved why they remain among the favourites to lift the trophy.

And with Messi extending his lead in the race for the Golden Boot and Fernandez writing his name into World Cup history with the landmark 3,000th goal, Argentina’s dramatic escape may yet be remembered as the moment their title defence truly came alive.

 

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