In a tumultuous start to the men’s Olympic football tournament at the Paris 2024 Games, Morocco shocked Argentina with a 2-1 victory on Wednesday. The match, held in Saint-Etienne, was marred by crowd trouble and confusion, culminating in a bizarre finish that saw the final minutes played in an empty stadium.
Morocco, the reigning African Under-23 champions, took control early with a brace from Soufiane Rahimi. The forward opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time, assisted by team captain and Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi. Rahimi doubled the lead six minutes into the second half, converting a penalty after Ilias Akhomach was fouled.
Argentina, two-time Olympic gold medalists, struggled to find their footing. Their woes were compounded by a hostile reception from the predominantly pro-Morocco crowd, who booed the South American players during their entrance and national anthem. This animosity stemmed from recent controversy involving racist chants by Argentine players following their Copa America victory.
The drama intensified in the dying moments of the game. Argentina thought they had salvaged a 2-2 draw when Cristian Medina scored in the 16th minute of added time. However, the celebration was cut short as projectiles rained down from the stands and pitch invaders disrupted the proceedings.
In an unprecedented turn of events, both teams left the field, only to return two hours later to play out the final three minutes in an empty stadium. Following a VAR review, Medina’s goal was disallowed for offside, securing Morocco’s 2-1 victory.
Argentina’s coach, Javier Mascherano, expressed his frustration with the organization, calling it “a circus” and “pathetic.” He criticized the lack of communication regarding the disallowed goal and the overall handling of the situation.
This chaotic match overshadowed other Group B results, including Iraq’s surprise 2-1 victory over Ukraine. Argentina now faces an uphill battle in their quest for a third Olympic gold, with their next match against Iraq on Saturday in Lyon.
The incident has raised questions about security measures and organizational protocols at the Olympic football tournament, casting a shadow over what should have been a celebratory start to the competition.
