Harambee Stars head coach Benni McCarthy has strongly criticised the officiating following Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Egypt in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16, describing the VAR decisions as one of the most baffling he has ever witnessed.
Egypt looked on course for a famous victory after defender Yasser Ibrahim handed the Pharaohs the lead in the 15th minute.
Argentina had a golden opportunity to level matters six minutes later, but Lionel Messi failed to convert from the penalty spot as Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir produced a crucial save.
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The controversy began in the 58th minute when Mostafa Ziko thought he had doubled Egypt’s advantage after finishing off a swift counterattack.
However, after lengthy protests from Argentina’s players, French referee François Letexier was sent to the pitch-side monitor by the VAR and ruled out the goal for an alleged foul in the build-up.
The decision left the Egyptian bench furious, with replays showing minimal contact before the move developed.
Egypt refused to let the setback derail them and finally doubled their lead in the 67th minute when Mostafa Ziko found the back of the net again, finishing off another lightning-fast counterattack to make it 2-0.
Argentina, however, mounted a stunning late comeback. Cristian Romero sparked the revival with a towering header in the 79th minute before Messi redeemed himself by firing home the equaliser four minutes later, registering his eighth goal of the tournament.
Enzo Fernández completed the turnaround in the second minute of stoppage time (90+2), heading home the winner to send the defending champions into the quarter-finals.
Speaking after the match, McCarthy questioned why the referee overturned what he believed was a perfectly legitimate goal simply because of appeals from Argentina’s players.
“It is the first time I see a team score legitimate goals and then the opposition plead for the referee to go to the VAR, to go and check a foul in the build-up which was never a foul.
There was nothing in it, absolutely nothing in it, and for the referee to go to the VAR because Messi and Argentine players are asking for a foul, and he goes.”
The former Manchester United first-team coach argued that VAR should only intervene in cases of a clear and obvious error rather than responding to pressure from players on the pitch.
The controversial decision has sparked widespread debate among football fans and pundits, with many questioning the consistency of VAR at the tournament.
Egypt ultimately exited the competition despite producing one of their finest performances, while Argentina advanced to the quarter-finals after one of the most dramatic comebacks of the World Cup.
Read more about other World Cup teams in 2026 below:
Morocco national football team 2026
Argentina national football team 2026
Mexico national football team 2026
Spain national football team 2026
Brazil national football team 2026
France national football team 2026
Senegal national football team 2026