India, July 8 -- Egypt forward Mostafa Ziko made an explosive claim after Egypt's heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16, alleging that the tournament was "directed" towards the defending champions after a night of massive refereeing controversy.

Egypt looked set for one of the great World Cup knockout shocks when they led Argentina 2-0 deep into the second half. But Lionel Messi's side staged a dramatic late comeback, scoring three times to survive and move into the quarter-finals. For Egypt, however, the result was not just about a collapse. Their anger was centred on the officiating, especially a disallowed goal and late penalty appeals that went against them before Argentina's winner.

Ziko, who score...