2024-07-24 19:07:14
Morocco defeated Argentina on Wednesday (2-1) for its entry into the 2024 Olympic Games, in Saint-Étienne. But the meeting was marked by various events.
Published on: 07/24/2024 – 9:07 pm.
3 min
A match without head or tail. After almost four hours and in great confusion, Morocco defeated Argentina (2-1) in the first match of the first day of the Olympic football tournament, Wednesday July 24, in Saint-Étienne.
After 15 minutes of added time, while Morocco led the goals 2 to 1, Argentinian Cristian Medina scored the equalizing goal after two blocked balls and two shots on the cross (90+16, 2 -2).
The organizer drew the ire of dozens of Moroccan supporters who stormed the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium as bottles and cans escaped from the stands to land on the pitch. A firecracker even exploded at the foot of Argentina’s bench, as pictures from Eurosport, the broadcaster of the match, showed.
A security member restrains a Moroccan supporter after several Moroccan fans invaded the pitch at the end of the match between Argentina and Morocco during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium in Saint-Étienne, on July 24, 2024 . © Arnaud Finistre, AFP
Without having time to check the video, the outside position on the Argentine goal, Glenn Nyberg, the referee of the game, then called the players to return to the locker room.
And without the end of the game being whistled, everyone started to leave the stadium before a message was announced in the stadium that the last spectators who came to leave the stands to resume the game after the closed door.
The official Olympic website quickly indicated that the match was “only suspended”, not finished.
It took the organizers around an hour and fifty minutes to restart the game, suspended for security checks, according to a brief FIFA press release, released during the game’s interruption.
When the players returned to the field, in front of empty stands, the referee, using VAR, canceled Argentina’s second goal, and the game resumed briefly, ending with the victory (2-1) of Morocco.
Whistles during the Argentina national anthem
The anger of the Moroccan supporters was replaced by that of the Argentine players, anger in the mixed community, and accusations of crying, once the game was well and truly over.
“Unique” sent Lionel Messi more depressed on his Instagram account, while Lyonnais Nico Tagliafico, his teammate with A, wondered about -A continue to play the fools? to think what they (Moroccans) will say.”
Well before this cacophony, the meeting was also marked by whistles against the Argentine players, especially during the anthems and in the second half during the strong reign of the Albiceleste in the presence of the organizer.
Morocco, led by Parisian defender Achraf Hakimi, led at the break thanks to a goal from Soufiane Rahimi, ahead of Argentina, the defending champion and whose four 2022 world champions fill the ranks.
Rahimi doubled the lead by converting the penalty scored by Ilias Akhomach (51st, 2-0), before Giuliano Simeone – son of Diego, coach of Atlético de Madrid – reduced the score (68th, 2-1) and the match was clear which cannot be limited.
It was a famous victory for Morocco, a snub for Argentina, among the favorites of the competition, and a hiccup that Paris-2024 and FIFA would have done well without as the Games ceremony took place on Friday.
With AFP
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