The opening match of the men’s Olympic football tournament at Paris 2024 between Argentina and Morocco descended into chaos, ending with a controversial 2-1 victory for Morocco. The game, initially reported as a 2-2 draw, was suspended for nearly two hours due to multiple pitch invasions by Moroccan fans and objects being thrown at players.Morocco had taken a 2-0 lead through Soufiane Rahimi, who scored in the first half and again from a penalty early in the second. Argentina fought back, with Giuliano Simeone reducing the deficit. The drama reached its peak when Cristian Medina appeared to equalize for Argentina in stoppage time.However, after a lengthy suspension and VAR review lasting over an hour and 20 minutes, the referee disallowed the goal for offside. The match resumed for an additional three minutes in an empty stadium, with Morocco holding on to win 2-1.Argentina’s coach, Javier Mascherano, was scathing in his criticism, describing the situation as ‘the biggest circus I’ve ever seen’. He also alleged that the team’s belongings were stolen during training hours before the match. Even Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi criticized the behavior of some Moroccan fans, stating that it damaged the image of their loyal fan base.The incident has raised serious concerns about security at the Olympic Games and the implementation of VAR in such high-stakes situations. Both teams will now prepare for their next matches, with Argentina needing to win their remaining two games to have a chance of qualifying for the next round.
Key points
- The Olympic football match between Argentina and Morocco ended in a controversial 2-1 victory for Morocco after multiple pitch invasions and a lengthy VAR review.
- The match was suspended for nearly two hours due to security concerns, with objects being thrown at players.
- Argentina’s coach, Javier Mascherano, heavily criticized the organization, calling it ‘the biggest circus I’ve ever seen’ and alleging theft of team belongings.
- The incident has raised serious questions about security at the Olympic Games and the implementation of VAR in high-stakes matches.
Contradictions👾There are conflicting reports about the exact duration of the match suspension, with some sources stating ‘nearly two hours’ and others mentioning ‘over an hour and 20 minutes’.
👾Some reports indicate that the match ended 2-2, while others state the final score as 2-1 in favor of Morocco.
