Algeria has complained to FIFA over what it says was “unfair” defeat to Argentina earlier in the FIFA World Cup, the AFP news agency said, citing a source in the Algerian football federation.The complaint stems from an incident involving Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who caught Algeria defender Aissa Mandi on the back with a foul in the back 30 minutes of the match on Tuesday but was not shown a card.Messi had already lost Argentina before the match and later scored a hat-trick. Algerian fans called for the player to be sent off after tackling Mandi, but he was not penalized and Messi remained on the pitch.“The complaint also touched on Messi’s problem, which should have received a red card, in everyone’s mind,” a federal source was quoted as saying by AFP.“There were also two incidents of elbows … Both had to be dismissed.”“We are not saying that the Argentine team was not strong, but we cannot remain silent in the face of injustice,” the source added, according to AFP.“There were three situations that were very clear, and VAR never intervened.”Messi’s hat-trick saw him equal Miroslav Klose’s record goalscorer at the World Cup with 16 goals.Algeria faces Jordan in its second Group J match on Monday before facing Austria on June 27. Argentina will face Austria in Dallas on Monday.Algeria are aiming to reach the World Cup for only the second time in their history, having reached the last 16 in 2014 before losing in extra time to eventual champions Germany.
