Under the title "Semi-Finals of the Arab Cup: Refereeing +90 Stirs Controversy," Sky News reported on the contentious refereeing in the semi-finals of the Arab Cup, leading to a "North African Derby" final between Tunisia and Algeria.
The first match of the semi-finals featured Egypt against Tunisia, ending with a 1-0 victory for "Eagles of Carthage," thanks to an own goal by Egyptian player Amr El-Solia in the final moments of the game. After the match, several sports programs pointed out that Egyptian player Marwan Hamdi deserved a penalty in the first half, and that Tunisia's leading goal came in the 90+4 minute, despite the referee only adding 3 minutes of stoppage time.
Opinions among analysts regarding the penalty awarded in the Tunisia vs. Egypt match were divided, which somewhat alleviated the criticism directed at the match referee. However, the refereeing performance in the other semi-final match between Algeria and Qatar was the center of significant controversy. Dramatically, Algeria took the lead through Jamal Belamri in the 59th minute. As the match reached the 90th minute, the referee awarded 9 minutes of stoppage time. Qatar managed to equalize in the 90+7 minute with a well-timed header from Mohammed Muntari.
As everyone anticipated extra time, the referee awarded Algeria a penalty, which Youssef Belaïli failed to convert initially, but he followed up and scored from the rebound in the 17th minute of stoppage time, giving his team the lead. The referee faced harsh criticism, with many believing he overly extended the stoppage time beyond a complete extra period.
Analyzing the performance, former international referee Ahmed El-Shennawy stated that "the refereeing in the semi-finals of the Arab Cup was not up to the event's standards." He commented to Sky News Arabia: "The rules indicate that the referee can only extend stoppage time if a penalty is awarded; hence, there is no justification for the referee in the Egypt vs. Tunisia match, who allowed play to continue past the awarded stoppage time, especially since his decision directly affected the game's outcome." Following the match between the Pharaohs and the Eagles of Carthage, Egyptian coach Carlos Queiroz criticized the referee, calling for better officiating in important matches.
El-Shennawy continued discussing the refereeing in the Qatar vs. Algeria match, noting: "The refereeing performance in the match between the African and Asian champions was significantly better than in the Egypt vs. Tunisia encounter." He further remarked: "Despite the numerous stoppages in the second half, I believe the decision to add 9 minutes of stoppage time was not appropriate, yet awarding a penalty to Algeria in the final seconds dispelled all accusations that the referee was biased in favor of the Qatari team."
El-Shennawy clarified that the referee in the Algeria vs. Qatar match made good decisions overall, and the circumstances of the match contributed to the discussions following its conclusion. He concluded his remarks to Sky News Arabia, saying: "Overall, the refereeing performance in the Arab Cup has been more than good, and we hope to see a final that serves as a fitting conclusion to this strong tournament."
Social media erupted with various reactions after the completion of the semi-final matches of the Arab Cup. Former Egyptian player Ahmed Hossam "Mido" criticized Queiroz for his comments regarding the match's referee, suggesting that the Portuguese coach was the reason behind the Egyptian team’s exit from the tournament's semi-finals.
