The match ended in a 1-1 draw and both sides failed to score any decisive goals in extra time, with Egypt’s veteran keeper Essam El-Hadary saving two spot kicks to prevent Burkina Faso from reaching their second Nations Cup final in four years.
“I am not used to speaking about refereeing, but the referee had a decisive influence on the result,” Duarte told beIN Sports after the game.
“We had two penalty appeals turned down. I don’t know why he denied those penalties.”
The Portuguese coach said he is disappointed by the outcome after his side played “a great game”.
“We played a great game and we had the upper hand but in football the better does not always win, and this was the case today,” he said.
“The game was very tough. It was a game between the best attack in the tournament and the best defence. It was a very tactical game.”
©Ahram
