Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan launched a passionate protest after his side’s 1-1 draw with Belgium, insisting the Pharaohs were denied a clear late penalty in their opening Group G match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The controversial moment overshadowed an impressive Egyptian performance at Seattle’s Lumen Field, where Hassan’s team came within minutes of securing a famous victory over one of Europe’s leading nations.
Instead, Egypt had to settle for a point after Belgium fought back in the second half to cancel out Emam Ashour’s first-half opener.
The drama unfolded late in the match when Egypt substitute Zizo burst into the Belgian penalty area and attempted to cut inside defender Maxim De Cuyper.
As Zizo tried to create space for a shot, De Cuyper appeared to impede the attacker and briefly wrapped his arms around him. Both players tumbled to the ground, prompting immediate appeals from Egypt’s players and coaching staff.
However, Brazilian referee Ramon Abatti waved play on and showed no interest in awarding a penalty.
The decision sparked furious reactions from the Egyptian bench.
Hassan immediately confronted fourth official Kevin Ortega and made his feelings clear in an unusual manner. The Egypt coach dramatically grabbed the Peruvian official in a bear hug, apparently attempting to demonstrate the contact he believed De Cuyper had made on Zizo inside the box.
The animated protest quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the match.
Mohamed Salah eventually stepped in to calm the situation and pulled his coach away before the incident escalated further or resulted in disciplinary action.
Adding to Egypt’s frustration, the contentious challenge was not reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee.
The lack of a VAR intervention left Hassan visibly angered at full-time, especially as Egypt felt they had done enough to secure all three points.
Speaking after the match, the former Egypt international did not hide his disappointment with the officiating.
“We had a penalty that was a million percent correct,” Hassan said.
“I’m shocked the referee didn’t even check VAR. If it was against us, it would have been given. We were close to winning — Egypt is not a small team.”
His comments reflected the mood within the Egyptian camp after a performance that earned plenty of praise despite the disappointing outcome.
Egypt had taken the lead through Emam Ashour, whose superb strike put the Pharaohs ahead and raised hopes of a memorable World Cup victory.
The North Africans defended resolutely for much of the contest and frustrated Belgium’s attacking stars for long periods.
However, Belgium eventually found an equaliser through pressure created by substitute Romelu Lukaku, whose presence helped force a Mohamed Hany own goal midway through the second half.
Even after conceding, Egypt continued to threaten and created several dangerous moments in the closing stages.
That made the disputed penalty decision even harder for Hassan and his players to accept.
The draw leaves both teams with one point after their opening Group G fixtures and keeps qualification hopes firmly alive heading into the next round of matches.
Egypt will now shift their focus to a crucial clash against New Zealand, while Belgium prepare to take on Iran.
For Hassan, though, the debate surrounding the late penalty decision is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
The Egypt coach believes his side deserved more from their World Cup opener and remains convinced a crucial decision went against them at a pivotal moment in the match.
While the scoreline cannot be changed, Hassan’s passionate reaction underlined just how much was at stake as Egypt’s long wait for a FIFA World Cup victory continues.
