Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
On paper, the last time the Socceroos played World Cup round-of-32 opponent Egypt, it was a routine affair at best.
Australia travelled to Cairo in November 2010 and suffered a 3-0 loss where they never really got going.
But in May 2014, that fixture was thrown into the spotlight when convicted match fixer Wilson Raj Perumal claimed, via his memoir, he’d rigged the outcome through Bulgarian referee Anton Genov.
On the day itself, Ahmed Abdul-Zaher scored in the 29th minute and star striker Mohamed Nagy added a second in the 59th.
Australia’s miserable day out was compounded when a contentious penalty was awarded against Lucas Neill in the dying moments – apparently for pushing Nagy in the back – and Mohamed Zidan converted.
“I do not know what kind of penalty it was, the only person who saw the penalty was the referee,” then-Socceroos coach Holger Osieck said.
“Nobody knew what was going on, only God and the referee.”
Few would have thought much of the penalty once the wash-up was over.
Then, three-and-a-half years later, that Socceroos-Cairo match popped up again.
In May 2014, Singaporean national Perumal, in his memoir called “Kelong Kings”, alleged his gambling syndicate had worked with the referee that day to ensure three goals were scored in the match.
Perumal didn’t allege any involvement from the players on the pitch that day.
Socceroos great Mark Schwarzer was in goal for Australia in that match, including when Zidan slotted the 89th-minute penalty.
“The game in itself was very much a game that was one-sided and in a game which you thought the officials probably didn’t referee it in the fairest way,” Schwarzer told the ABC’s 7.30 when the allegations came out in 2014.
“It’s hard to take when you’re there playing it, but also it’s very difficult to read after the event and … I suppose it justifies your beliefs at the time.”
Australia have only played Egypt at senior level one other time – at the 1987 President’s Cup in South Korea.
That game ended 0-0 before the Socceroos won 4-3 on penalties.
A new chapter in this short match-up will be written when Australia face the Pharaohs on Friday (4am Saturday AEST) at Dallas Stadium.
This time, Australia will hope if it’s recalled four years later, it’s for all the right reasons.
