Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026

Egypt accuses Senegal of racism, violence at World Cup qualifier

Egypt accuses Senegal of racism, violence at World Cup qualifier

The Egyptian Football Association says the team was subjected to racism after offensive banners, while fans also threw bottles and stones during the warm-up process.

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has submitted an official complaint against Senegal saying its national team was subjected to racism and intimidation as it was preparing to play in the World Cup playoff.

In a statement on Instagram on Tuesday, the EFA said its team “was subjected to racism after offensive banners appeared in the stadium stands directed at the players, specifically Mohamed Salah, the team captain.”

It added that fans terrorised the players by throwing bottles and stones at them during the game’s warm-up sessions.

“The Egyptian team’s buses were attacked, which resulted in their windows being broken and in injuries to some individuals,” the statement also read.

The association said it was submitting the complaint to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

In the post, EFA shared an image of the shattered windshield of the bus.

FIFA said in a statement to Sky News Sports that it was “currently in the process of analysing the official match reports of the FIFA World Cup qualifier match between Senegal and Egypt”.

“The relevant information included in the match reports will be evaluated by the competent disciplinary bodies before deciding on the next steps to be taken.”

Teams that have qualified for World Cup 2022

Dakar’s Stade Me Abdoulaye Wade stadium was filled to capacity as Sadio Mane sent his country to the World Cup after Senegal beat Egypt 3-1 in a penalty shootout after their playoff ended 1-1 on aggregate.

Senegal’s victory, with Mane hitting the winning spot-kick, was a repeat of the Africa Cup of Nations final last month when Mane clinched a first major title for his country by also scoring the winning penalty in a shootout against the Egyptians.

There was more pain for Salah, who missed Egypt’s first penalty in this shootout and again had to watch as Mane celebrated a major victory.

The teams missed the first four penalties of the shootout. Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly hit the crossbar with the first penalty. But Salah then blasted his penalty over the crossbar. Egypt missed three of its four penalties.

There was widespread criticism online regarding green lasers directed from the crowd in the faces of the players during the game. Those lasers were notably seen on Salah prior to him missing his penalty.

According to the BBC, the Senegalese Football Federation president said he would await official reports on the incidents.

“From the stands, I didn’t pay attention to the projectiles thrown,” Augustin Senghor said. “About the lasers, if it happened this is a first in Senegal. But we know that in Cairo there were a lot of these and [they are used] often in specific countries. Senegal isn’t used to that.”


 


Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Saudi Red Sea Oil Exports Set for Record in March as Kingdom Reroutes Crude Amid Hormuz Crisis
Saudi Arabia Seeks Belgian Military Support After Iranian Missile Attacks
Saudi Arabia Welcomes US Decision to Designate Sudan’s Muslim Brotherhood as Terrorist Organisation
Saudi Aramco Plans Dual Gulf and Red Sea Export Routes as Iran Crisis Disrupts Oil Shipments
Saudi Cabinet Condemns Iranian Attacks and Reaffirms Kingdom’s Right to Defend Its Sovereignty
Ukraine Deploys Counter-Drone Teams to Gulf States as Iranian Drone Threat Expands
Bahrain Grand Prix Faces Uncertainty as Saudi Arabia Works to Keep Formula One Race on Track
Saudi Arabia Faces New Strategic Dilemma in Yemen as Regional War Reshapes Calculations
OPEC Confirms Saudi-Led Oil Output Increase as Iran War Disrupts Global Energy Markets
Pakistan Pledges Rapid Support for Saudi Arabia Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Global Energy Agency Announces Record Release of 400 Million Barrels to Stabilize Oil Markets Amid Hormuz Disruption
Aramco Warns Global Oil Market Faces ‘Catastrophic’ Shock if Strait of Hormuz Remains Closed
Iran Launches Drone and Missile Attacks Across Gulf Targets Including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain
Saudi Arabia Elevates Fahad Al-Saif as Vision 2030 Enters Crucial Implementation Phase
Saudi Aramco Expands Routes to Move Oil Without Reliance on the Strait of Hormuz
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan Reaffirm Mutual Defense Cooperation Following Iran Strike
Saudi Arabia Plans Major Ukrainian Arms Deal to Counter Iranian Drone Threat
Pentagon Signals Intensification of U.S. Air Campaign as Iran Conflict Escalates
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham Raises Prospect of Mutual Defense Pact With Saudi Arabia Amid Iran Conflict
Why Saudi Arabia Is Unlikely to Have Wanted U.S. Airstrikes on Iran
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Oil Exports Set to Reach Record High as Gulf Routes Face Disruption
Saudi Arabia Pushes East–West Oil Pipeline Toward Full Capacity as Hormuz Crisis Disrupts Global Energy Flows
Oil Prices Retreat From Peak as G7 Weighs Release of Strategic Reserves
Pentagon Identifies U.S. Soldier Who Died After Iranian Strike on Saudi Air Base
Why Saudi Arabia’s $50 Billion ‘The Line’ Megacity Slowed — and How Artificial Intelligence Is Reshaping the Plan
United States Withdraws Diplomatic Staff from Saudi Arabia and Southeast Turkey as Regional Conflict Escalates
Fanatics Moves Tom Brady Flag Football Showcase from Saudi Arabia to Los Angeles Amid Regional War
Saudi Arabia Seeks Strategic Support from Pakistan After Iranian Missile and Drone Attacks
Saudi Arabia Begins Oil Output Cuts as Hormuz Disruption Forces Storage Limits
Saudi Arabia Travel Advisory Tightened as Middle East War Triggers Regional Security Alerts
Saudi Arabia Warns Iran It Will Be ‘Biggest Loser’ as Drone Strikes Spread Across Gulf States
Lindsey Graham Urges Saudi Arabia to Join US Effort Against Iran as War Expands
Saudi Crown Prince Holds Strategic Calls With Spanish and Ukrainian Leaders Amid Regional Tensions
Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways Shifts Operations to Saudi Arabia Amid Regional Airspace Disruptions
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Why Jeddah’s Night Race Has Become One of Formula One’s Most Distinctive Events
F1 Leadership Addresses Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Races as Middle East Conflict Raises Safety Concerns
Zelenskyy Offers Saudi Crown Prince Assistance to Counter Iranian Drone Threat
Seventh U.S. Service Member Dies from Injuries After Iranian Strike in Saudi Arabia
Civilian Infrastructure Increasingly Hit as Iran Conflict Expands and Saudi Arabia Reports First Fatalities
Saudi Arabia Warns Iran to Halt Attacks and Signals Potential Retaliation
US Embassy in Riyadh Issues Security Alert Urging Americans to Shelter in Place Amid Regional Attacks
Projectile Strike on Saudi Residential Building Kills Two as Regional Conflict Expands
Saudi Arabia Warns Iran While Expanding Diplomatic Efforts to Contain Widening Middle East War
Iran’s President Rejects U.S. Surrender Demand as Drone and Missile Strikes Hit Gulf States
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Drone Swarm Targeting Strategic Shaybah Oil Field
Pakistan Faces Growing Pressure to Balance Ties With Iran and Saudi Arabia as Regional War Intensifies
Middle East Conflict Tests Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision to Transform Saudi Arabia Into a Global Hub
Proposed U.S.–Saudi Nuclear Deal Could Ease Traditional Nonproliferation Requirements
Iran Claims Strike on U.S.-Linked Oil Tanker Near Saudi Waters as Maritime Tensions Escalate
Saudi Arabia Says Air Defences Destroyed 23 Drones and Three Missiles Amid Escalating Regional Conflict
×