Suspected cyberattack on Argentine Football Association: Traces lead to Egypt

According to the research, an Egyptian hacker group reportedly advertised in forums that it had gained access to email and IP addresses as well as passwords from the federation's database. Whether these claims are actually accurate is the subject of the ongoing investigation. The AFA has so far not commented on the specific allegations.

The background to the incident is the heated debate surrounding the World Cup round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt. Egypt led 2-0 until the 79th minute before Argentina, led by captain Lionel Messi, scored three goals in roughly 13 minutes to turn the game around. The defeat triggered sharp criticism on the Egyptian side of the refereeing crew led by the Frenchman François Letexier.

Investigations ongoing

Egypt's coach Hossam Hassan became incensed after the match over the performance of the official and his team. Individual Egyptian players and federation representatives also voiced criticism. Egypt officially filed a complaint against referee Letexier and his assistants.

Observers attested Letexier and his team a good performance despite the heated match with several controversial scenes. It remains unclear whether the cyber incident is connected to the complaints from Cairo. The investigations into the origin and scope of the incident are ongoing.

AFA's response and security advisories

The AFA has since taken precautions to protect the integrity of its communication channels and is appealing to the public not to open or forward suspicious messages. Security experts assess the incident as another example of the growing threat to sports associations from cybercrime.

It remains unclear whether additional data beyond the sent emails was leaked from the federation. According to the newspaper, the responsible authorities are examining both technical traces and possible links to the North African region. No statement from Egyptian authorities on the allegations is available.