In a thrilling semifinal match at the Paris 2024 Olympics, France secured a spot in the men’s football final with a dramatic 3-1 victory over Egypt in extra time. The host nation will now face Spain, who earlier defeated Morocco 2-1, in the gold medal match on Friday, August 9th, at the Parc des Princes stadium.Egypt initially took the lead through Mahmoud Saber in the 62nd minute, putting France on the brink of elimination. However, Jean-Philippe Mateta equalized for France in the 83rd minute, forcing the game into extra time. Mateta then scored his second goal in the 99th minute, giving France the lead, before Michael Olise sealed the victory with a third goal in the 108th minute.France’s coach, Thierry Henry, praised his team’s resilience and character. ‘It’s not easy, right? We knew that. But at the end of the day, we kept on coming. We kept on trying. We kept on creating from the wing and trying to play and we got our reward,’ Henry said. This victory puts France in position to win their second Olympic gold medal in men’s football, with their only previous triumph coming at Los Angeles 1984.The final between France and Spain guarantees that a European team will win the Olympic gold for the first time since Spain’s victory in Barcelona 1992, ending the recent dominance of Latin American nations in the tournament. For Thierry Henry, this represents an opportunity to secure his first major honor as a coach.Meanwhile, Egypt will face Morocco in the bronze medal match on Thursday, August 8th, at the La Beaujoire stadium in Nantes. Both teams will be looking to secure their first Olympic medal in men’s football, adding further excitement to the tournament’s conclusion.
Key points
- France defeated Egypt 3-1 in extra time to advance to the Olympic football final.
- Jean-Philippe Mateta scored twice for France, including the equalizer and the go-ahead goal.
- France will face Spain in the gold medal match, guaranteeing a European champion for the first time since 1992.
- Egypt will play Morocco for the bronze medal.
Contradictions👾There is a minor discrepancy in the reported time of Mateta’s equalizing goal, with some sources stating it was in the 82nd minute while others report it as the 83rd minute.
