ATLANTA — "Not fair, not fair, the referee was not fair…!" Mustafa Zizo, the scorer of Egypt's second goal against Argentina, was beside himself after the match and erupted in an interview with BeIN Sports, the Arab world's largest broadcasting network.
"God is on my side and He is the best one to set things right. He wasted the effort of an entire nation… And yes, Mabrook — the cup has been handed to Argentina as a gift here."
Zizo's words capture the mood among most Egypt players and supporters after the extraordinary round-of-sixteen tie against Argentina, which ended in a 3-2 win for the reigning champions following a breathless, dramatic comeback from Lionel Messi and his teammates in the final fifteen minutes.
As far as Egypt are concerned, an injustice was done — and conspiracy theories are already spreading across social media. The disallowed Egyptian goal, combined with the fouls committed against Hamdi Fathi and Salah in the build-up to Argentina's third, are at the centre of the grievances. "All I can say is that Fathi's shirt was torn, and he didn't tear it himself," said Mustafa "Ofa" Shobeir, the current Egypt goalkeeper, who delivered a masterclass between the posts — including a penalty save against Messi in the first half.
"I have no intention of watching even one more minute of this World Cup," said Egypt manager Hossam Hassan after the final whistle. Hassan, Egypt's all-time record goalscorer as a player, and the man who had dedicated the penalty shootout victory over Australia in the previous round to the Palestinian people, ended this match in deep frustration. "I'll say everything without any regard for the consequences. This match was fixed. The whole world saw it. If Argentina wants to win this badly, and that's how it works, why invite any other teams at all?"
Hassan, too, reached for the Arabic expression: "Hasbiya Allah wa ni'ma al-wakeel" — "God is sufficient for me and He is the best disposer of affairs" — a phrase of resignation and righteous indignation that echoed across football fans throughout the Arab world.
But not everyone in Egypt was left in mourning. "You achieved something unprecedented. The future will be even better," tweeted Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Ahmed Shobeir, the legendary goalkeeper who stood between the posts for Egypt at the 1990 World Cup and father of the current number one, wrote: "Thank you… you were men."
And the truth? Egypt have every reason to be proud. This match has become an instant World Cup classic — one in which they played a central, vital role.
Moreover, Egypt entered this game with nothing to lose and everything to gain. They had already done the unthinkable twice in this tournament: securing their first-ever World Cup victory, advancing to the knockout stage for the first time in their history, and then beating Australia in the round of sixteen. Each milestone was historic.
That liberated spirit showed vividly in the first half, both in Yasser Ibrahim's surprise opener and in Shobeir's penalty save.
When Amam Ashour — one of Egypt's standout performers throughout the tournament — was forced off injured, manager Hossam Hassan used the substitution to consolidate and shift the team's style. He brought on Hamdi Fathi, a more defensively-minded player, effectively sacrificing possession in the second half in favour of compactness and the counter-attack.
It worked to near-perfection. Both the disallowed Zizo goal and his legitimate strike that temporarily made it 2-0 to the Pharaohs came from brilliant transitions — full of joy, freedom, and incisive football.
What happened in the end goes beyond football alone, and somehow it accompanies Argentina at this World Cup, just as it did at the last one. Legal or otherwise, favouritism or coincidence, one cannot ignore the fact that there is something special around this team. Something that even Egypt, on one of the greatest days in their footballing history, could not overcome.
So yes, the Egyptians feel hard done by, and that is entirely understandable. And yet, they leave their fourth World Cup with their heads held high — after a magnificent match, and a defeat only to the reigning world champions and the greatest player of all time. This could be a watershed moment in Egypt's relationship with the game they love — one of Africa's most storied football nations and a giant of the Arab world. As for Mohamed Salah, who put in a magnificent individual performance — with brilliant creative play and yet another stamp of confirmation that he is the finest Egyptian footballer of all time — this tournament has helped him shake off the burden of constant comparisons to Mohamed Abu Trika, the hero of Al-Ahly and the Egypt national team from the early 2000s. The one blemish that remains on his CV is the Africa Cup of Nations — Egypt's bread and butter, a trophy they have claimed a record seven times — which Salah has yet to win.
Despite the frustration, both Egypt and Salah can look back on this summer in North America as a genuine success. A summer to be proud of.