Egypt file complaint after Salah is targeted with lasers in Senegal defeat that dooms World Cup drea

The Reds star had several green lights on his face as he missed a crucial spot-kick

(Image credit: Getty)

Egypt star Mohamed Salah was targeted by laser pointers before missing a crucial penalty in Tuesday's shootout loss to Senegal.

What happened?

After a 1-0 first-leg win, Egypt conceded a goal in the fourth minute with the two sides deadlocked all the way through to a penalty shootout.

Throughout the match, the partisan home crowd was seen shining lasers onto the field, with those pointers out in full force for the penalty kicks.

Dozen of lasers could be seen on Salah's face before he missed from the spot, with Egypt eventually losing 3-1 to miss out on the World Cup.

Following the match, Egypt manager Carlos Queiroz stepped down, ending his time in charge of the team after taking the role in September.

Mohamed Salah will turn 34 during the 2026 World Cup, his next opportunity to play at the tournament. Will this be the final, defining image of the Liverpool superstar's attempts to truly make his mark on the grandest stage of all?#SENEGY #WCQ2022 #LFC #YNWA pic.twitter.com/rpuQqBEoWr — Ed Dove (@EddyDove) March 29, 2022

Egypt FA release statement

While they didn't address the lasers specifically, the Egypt FA have confirmed that they have filed a complaint based on the atmosphere in Senegal.

“The Egyptian Football Association have lodged a formal complaint against its Senegalese counterpart to the match observer, the security official, CAF, and FIFA, before the start of the match between the two teams," the federation said. “The Egyptian team was subjected to racism after the appearance of offensive banners in the stands aimed at the players, specifically Mohamed Salah.

“Moreover the Senegalese fans terrorized the Egyptian players by throwing bottles and stones at them during the warm-up, as well as attacking the Egyptian team bus, which caused glass shattering and some injuries, which was documented with pictures and videos attached to the complaint.”