‘Daylight Robbery’ - Benni McCarthy and Ex-Man United Star Fume Over ‘Unfair’ Treatment of Egypt

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy has joined those who feel the officiating for the World Cup match between Egypt and Argentina was not fair

‎Egypt suffered one of the most painful defeats when they saw a 2-0 lead disappear with 11 minutes left to play.

‎The Pharaohs were on course to a World Cup shocker when they took a 15th minute lead through Yasser Ibrahim and then survived shortly after as Lionel Messi missed a penalty.

‎Mostafa Ziko would grab the second shortly after half-time but a VAR intervention ruled it out for a foul in the build up. However, the record African champions were not to be denied shortly after, Ziko slotting home after a swift counter-attacking move.

With 11 minutes to go, Messi stepped up, first delivering from a freekick for Cristian Romero to head home before slamming home the equaliser from the edge of the box four minutes later.

‎What has annoyed McCarthy and many football fans is the manner in which Argentina scored the winner in stoppage time.

‎Egypt poured forward to get the winner and there appeared to be a foul on Mohamed Salah in the box, which would have led to a penalty, but the referee ignored as possession was turned over and Lautaro Martinez found himself in acres of space before crossing to Enzo Fernandez and the back-post, the Chelsea star heading home for 3-2.

“It is the first time I see a team score legitimate goals and then the opposition plead for the referee to go to VAR to go and a check a foul in the build-up which was never a foul,” McCarthy, working as pundit on Sporty TV, said of Egypt’s goal that was chalked off.

“Nothing in it, absolutely nothing in it and for the referee to go because Messi and the Argentinian players are asking for the foul and then he goes.”

His sentiments were echoed by his former South African teammate Quinton Fortune, who feels the game was biased towards Argentina.

“It is not even funny anymore, what are we doing? We just have to sit here and lie and make up stuff. It is clear, brutal. It is not even at night, broad daylight,” Fortune weighed in.

“Everyone can see as Benni has just mentioned. Egypt scores a perfect goal and they go all the way back there and check VAR angles from satellite and Argentina’s [foul on Salah], no VAR angles, no nothing. We want Messi the best player to win this tournament but they don’t need all this. It is embarrassing. I feel for Egypt because they were outstanding,” the former Manchester United midfielder further stated.

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan and midfielder Ziko led the protests in the dying minutes of the contest and after the game, slamming FIFA over a bias towards the defending world champions.