Egypt objects to referee picked for African Cup semifinal

Egypt has filed a criticism with the African soccer confederation towards the appointment of a Gambian referee for the Pharaohs’ sport towards Cameroon within the African Cup of Nations semifinals on Thursday.
The Egyptian Football Association didn’t give causes for its criticism towards Bakary Gassama, certainly one of Africa’s best-known referees. He refereed the Pharaohs’ 1-0 loss to Nigeria within the group stage.
The 42-year-old Gassama is thought to Egyptian followers for having refereed the Pharaohs’ 2-1 victory over Congo in October 2017, which certified Egypt for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. It was the primary time in practically three a long time that they certified for the event.
Egypt, which has gained the African Cup a report seven instances, filed its criticism late Tuesday. Representatives of the Egyptian Football Association and the Confederation of African Football weren’t instantly obtainable to remark.
The Pharaohs superior to the semifinals by beating Morocco 2-1 because of a purpose and an help from its star Mohamed Salah. Host nation Cameroon progressed with a 2-0 win over Gambia. On Wednesday, Senegal faces Burkina Faso within the first semifinal.

🔴 📸 | صور من فوز المنتخب الوطني على نظيره المغربي بنتيجة 2/1 وتأهله إلى نصف نهائي بطولة كأس الأمم الأفريقية 🇪🇬 ….. ⬇️#EFA pic.twitter.com/otjPzXMdad
— EFA.eg (@EFA) January 30, 2022
Gassama has additionally refereed many video games for Egypt’s giants, Al Ahly and Zamalek, within the African Champions League tournaments, with a few of them sparking controversy within the soccer-mad nation.
Thursday’s sport will characteristic the 2 most profitable groups in African Cup historical past with 12 titles between them. It might be repeat of the 2017 last, when Cameroon gained its fifth cup, and the eleventh encounter between the 2 heavyweights within the event’s historical past, in accordance with the CAF.
Egypt depends closely on Liverpool star Salah, who remains to be remains to be on the lookout for a primary main title along with his nation since its final the African Cup championship in 2010. Cameroon hopes striker Vincent Aboubakar, the event’s main scorer up to now with six targets, can lead the hosts to the Feb. 6 last.

Following its win over Gambia, Cameroon federation president Samuel Eto’o advised his nation’s squad to arrange for a “war” within the semifinals.
“Everything you’ve done, you need to capitalize on it. Prepare yours, because it will be a war, my guys, a war,” Eto’o was seen telling gamers in video feedback.
Pharaohs coach Carlos Queiroz dismissed Eto’o feedback as “unfortunate” and a “bad message.”
“I think he forgot that Cameroonian people died at the stadium several days ago, and so making this declaration of war before one game shows that he learned nothing from his time in professional football,” Queiroz advised a information convention.
He was referring to the stampede that killed eight followers and injured 38 others exterior the Olembe Stadium within the capital, Yaounde, earlier than a sport between Cameroon and Comoros.
“It was a very, very unfortunate comment, because football is not about war, it’s about celebration, joy and happiness,” Queiroz mentioned.

Cameroon lately has additionally seen preventing get away in western components of the nation between English-speaking separatists and troopers from the French-language dominated authorities based mostly in Yaounde. More than 3,000 folks have been killed within the preventing and greater than 700,000 have fled their properties.