CAIRO: The Egyptian FA made a complaint to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) against technical director Mohamed Abdul-Meneim 'Shatta', who slated Egypt's technical staff in the wake of Sunday's 1-0 loss to Niger. After the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, many football pundits denounced the controversial appearance of a goat on the pitch. Before the national anthems of both countries were played, hosts Niger got onto the pitch along with a black goat that was kept on a lead. The farm animal was barely considered a lucky mascot as many people suggested that it was involved in magical practices ahead of the match. However, CAF technical director Shatta said in a sarcastic way that the Pharaohs' defeat shouldn't be put down to 'some goat'. He also criticized the technical staff for their 'wrong decisions'. In their official complaint, the Egyptian FA said Shatta's statements were unacceptable as 'judging Egypt's coaching staff is not part of his job description'. Egypt's head coach Hassan Shehata blamed the embarrassing loss to Niger on the absence of a number of key players. Influential quartet Ahmed Hassan, Sayed Moawad, Mohamed Zidan and Geddo missed the match through injury. The 61-year-old fielded several inexperienced players instead, such as Ahmed Mekki and Ahmed Ali.
