Ashraf Kasem on 'Bila Qoyoud': The Egyptian National Team Was 'Robbed' on the Field

Ashraf Kasem on 'Bila Qoyoud': The Egyptian National Team Was 'Robbed' on the Field

Published 4 hours ago

Former Egyptian international Ashraf Kasem expressed his conviction that the Egyptian national team was subjected to a major refereeing injustice during its match against Argentina in the 2026 World Cup. Kasem said the Egyptian team was 'robbed' on the field, in his words. He added that the task of the refereeing crew in any match should be to apply justice to both competing teams, not to apply it in favor of one team at the expense of the other.

Kasem said that the lack of refereeing justice in the match between Egypt and Argentina, which ended in Argentina's favor 3-2, should not be an excuse for the defeat suffered by the Egyptian team. He pointed to shortcomings in defensive aspects and a lack of concentration that affected the Egyptian team, especially in the last fifteen minutes of the match. The former Egyptian international explained that the team should have handled that period differently technically, noting that the responsibility lies with the coach.

Kasem also criticized FIFA's decision to increase the number of teams participating in the 2026 World Cup from 32 to 48 teams. He expressed his belief that FIFA's decision came for marketing purposes and that FIFA, with this decision, prioritized its own interests over those of the participating teams.

So why did Ashraf Kasem consider that the refereeing injustice he described, which the Egyptian team faced in its match against Argentina, should not be an excuse for the defeat? Why did Kasem dismiss the possibility of replaying the match? What is needed to develop the performance and thinking of national coaches in Egypt and the Arab world in general? And how to encourage local players to turn professional in foreign clubs?

These and other questions will be answered in this week's episode of 'Bila Qoyoud'. The episode airs on Saturday at 5:30 PM GMT. You can watch episodes of the program via the following link.