Chaos and confusion overshadowed Morocco’s 2-1 win against Argentina in their opening match of the men’s Olympic football tournament. The Group B match in Saint-Etienne descended into turmoil after a late equalizer for Argentina was disallowed, and the final minutes were played out in an empty stadium following crowd disturbances.
Argentina believed they had secured a 2-2 draw when Cristian Medina scored in the 16th minute of added time. However, as the players celebrated, projectiles including bottles and plastic cups were hurled from the stands, leading to a pitch invasion. The referee halted the match, and both teams left the field.
Unbeknownst to many, the match had not officially ended. After a two-hour delay, the teams returned to play out the remaining three minutes in a now-empty stadium. A VAR review subsequently ruled Medina’s goal offside, allowing Morocco to secure all three points.
This tumultuous start marred the Paris Games’ opening sporting event and was a particularly bad day for Argentina. The team faced boos from the predominantly Moroccan-supporting crowd, a reaction to the Argentine players’ recent racist chants following their Copa America victory.
Argentina coach Javier Mascherano criticized the disorganized handling of the match, saying, “It is a circus… this would not even happen in a neighborhood tournament. It’s pathetic.”
Despite trailing 2-0 after a brace from Soufiane Rahimi, Argentina fought back. Rahimi’s goals included a stoppage-time strike in the first half and a second-half penalty. Giuliano Simeone, son of former Argentina star Diego, reduced the deficit, and Medina thought he had equalized before the offside decision.
Argentina, aiming for their third men’s football gold, will face Iraq next in Lyon. Iraq won their opener against Ukraine 2-1.
Spain Triumphs Over Uzbekistan, Other Olympic Football Highlights
In Group C, Spain began their quest for gold with a 2-1 victory over Uzbekistan at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Featuring Euro 2024 winners Alex Baena and Fermin Lopez, Spain took the lead through Marc Pubill. Uzbekistan equalized from a penalty converted by Eldor Shomurodov after a foul by Pau Cubarsi, who was subsequently substituted at halftime. Sergio Gomez, after missing a penalty, scored the winner for Spain.
Elsewhere in Group C, Egypt and the Dominican Republic played to a 0-0 draw.
Group A saw New Zealand triumph over Guinea 2-1, with Plymouth Argyle’s Ben Waine scoring the decisive goal. Hosts France were set to play the United States in Marseille, with Thierry Henry’s team aiming for a medal despite failing to secure Kylian Mbappe’s participation.
In Group D, Japan dominated Paraguay 5-0, taking advantage of their opponent being reduced to ten men.
