2002 World Cup: Gamal El-Ghandour looks back on controversial quarter-final between South Korea and Spain

Gamal El-Ghandour is the Egyptian referee who officiated one of the most controversial matches in World Cup history: the 2002 clash between South Korea and Spain.

During his long international career, which began in 1996, Gamal El-Ghandour officiated at the Olympic Games, the World Cup, Euro 2000 and the Confederations Cup, becoming the first non-European referee to officiate at a European Championship. But there is one match he will find hard to forget.

In this exclusive interview with FootAfrica.com, Gamal El-Ghandour looked back on the controversial quarter-final between South Korea and Spain, which he officiated.

How do you remember that match today?

"I want to focus in particular on two important incidents from that quarter-final, which have been widely discussed over the years. In the first incident, my assistant referee signalled that the ball had gone out of play over the crossbar and across the goal line. He indicated that a goal kick should be awarded. Based on his signal, I blew my whistle and awarded a goal kick. However, it later emerged that the ball had actually remained in play. So the mistake was not mine, as the referee, but that of the assistant referee, who had misjudged the situation," he began.

"In the second incident, a Spanish forward pushed a South Korean defender from behind and pulled his shirt. I was right to stop play for a foul. Only afterwards did the ball go into the net. The goal was therefore disallowed because the whistle had already been blown.

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I remember that match very well. Even 100 years from now, I will remain absolutely convinced that I made no refereeing mistakes during that game. As for the first incident, my assistant referee signalled that the ball had gone out of play over the crossbar and across the goal line. A goal kick had therefore already been awarded before the Spanish player put the ball in the net. In the second incident, I judged that a clear foul had been committed, with a push and a shirt pull, before the ball crossed the goal line in front of the defender. That is why I do not accept responsibility for those decisions," he went on to explain.

Were you under pressure from the home supporters?

"Absolutely not! On the contrary, the supporters were fantastic and the atmosphere in the stadium was excellent. I felt no pressure from the home crowd."

Did you face criticism after the match?

"I faced fierce criticism for a very long time, for more than 18 years. Eventually, I asked to meet the person in charge of refereeing in Spain. I wanted to discuss face to face the mistakes I was accused of making. That meeting finally took place in 2018. Following those incidents, the Spanish media and supporters criticised me. They felt I had made decisions against their national team. The criticism continued for many years, until 2018.

Nevertheless, I think it is important to put these incidents in context and return to the facts, particularly when discussing my refereeing career as a whole and the decisions made during that match. I hope this additional information will help you present a more complete and objective picture of my career and my achievements on the international stage."

Did you speak with Spanish officials?

"Apart from the person in charge of refereeing in Spain, I have never discussed this match with any players or officials from the Spanish national team. In 2018, I went to Spain and debated those decisions live on television with the Spanish refereeing official who had accused me of making those mistakes. He fully acknowledged that I was not responsible for the errors I had been accused of. The television channel agreed to my condition: that I be allowed to discuss the matter face to face with the Spanish refereeing representative. The interview attracted a great deal of interest. Afterwards, representatives of the channel told me that the programme had significantly changed public opinion in Spain."

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Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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