Egypt have not taken their World Cup exit lying down, accusing FIFA of corruption from the moment the whistle blew on their round of 16 loss to Argentina.
Responses included accusations of referee bias from Mostafa Zico and a scathing post-match rant on FIFA corruption from manager Hossam Hassan.
But some back in Egypt have escalated things. Hackers have launched a cyber-attack on the Argentine FA’s email, sending World Cup-related messages from staff accounts, and getting a very clear message across in the process.
They believe their nation was robbed of their place at the World Cup, and they’re not going to stand idly by.
Egyptian hackers send emails from Argentine FA accounts
It’s not a headline you would have seen at most World Cups of the past. La Calle, in Uruguay, first reported the email sent from an AFA account, which ‘admitted’ to corruption in their game against Egypt. It was sent to multiple journalists.
The email claimed “corrupt refereeing decisions” was the only reason Egypt went out of the tournament. It is believed that “a group of hackers of Egyptian origin had breached part of the AFA database.”
The AFA released a statement following the news, denying the authenticity of the source.
They wrote (via The Telegraph): “We would like to inform you that we have detected the possible sending of emails from one of our institutional accounts that were not generated or authorised by our team.
“Given this situation, and while we carry out the corresponding verifications together with the systems area, we ask that you disregard any message you have recently received from our account that seems unusual, especially if it contains links, attachments or requests personal information.
“There is a possibility that our account has been subject to unauthorised access, so we are working to clarify what happened and take the necessary security measures. Our systems have the appropriate security and safeguards in place. The incident is being analysed to determine its origin and scope.”
What's your take on Hossam Hassan's comments about the dramatic Egypt vs Argentina game? 👀
Egypt feel aggrieved by two key decisions that went Argentina's way…
This fallout has not been pleasant, and it threatens to distract from the football still to play. With just over a week to go, the focus should be on the football.
Egypt have grievances, and it is their right to pursue justice if they feel there has been unfair treatment. But the way it has unfolded in the immediate aftermath has only served to foster negativity, instead of the pride they should be feeling in this World Cup run.
That being said, this is unlikely to be the last we hear about this controversy.
READ MORE:
‘The cup is directed towards Argentina’ – Hossam Hassan lambasts FIFA after Egypt’s World Cup exit
‘The game is rigged’ – Egypt star Ziko lambasts ‘unfair’ referee after Argentina comeback
Former England referee chief gives ‘no doubt’ verdict to FIFA World Cup ‘rigged’ allegations
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