Wednesday, October 21, 2026 - FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has handed match suspensions to Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan, national team manager Ibrahim Hassan, and forward Mostafa Zico following their outspoken criticism of match officials during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
According to a statement released by the Egyptian Football
Association (EFA) on Monday, head coach Hossam Hassan and his twin brother
Ibrahim were both issued three-match bans, while Zico received a five-match
suspension.
The disciplinary action stems from post-match comments made
after Egypt’s 3–2 round-of-16 defeat to Argentina in Atlanta on July 6, where
the Pharaohs surrendered a 2–0 lead following several controversial refereeing
decisions, including a disallowed goal and a denied penalty claim.
Following the elimination, Hassan accused match officials of
unfair treatment, stating during a news conference: "We have been cheated
unfairly today; we have suffered injustice... We haven’t seen respect or fair
play."
The bans mean both Hossam and Ibrahim Hassan could miss
Egypt’s upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures against Malawi in
November, as well as the opening match of the March international window.
Zico’s five-match ban is expected to keep the forward
sidelined from international duty until June. The EFA confirmed it has formally
requested the legal justifications from FIFA to evaluate its grounds for an
appeal.
Meanwhile, FIFA Referees Committee Chairman Pierluigi
Collina defended the match officials, warning that public allegations against
referees undermine match integrity and expose officials to personal threats.
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