Morocco secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Argentina in the opening game of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Cristian Medina thought he had earned Argentina a draw in the 16th minute of stoppage time, only for it to be ruled out for offside almost two hours after the game appeared to have come to an end.
The match was resumed for three minutes behind closed doors, and Morocco hung on to their
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games kicked off with high drama as Argentina’s late equaliser against Morocco was disallowed almost two hours after the game had seemingly ended. Argentina, having come back from 2-0 down, appeared to secure a draw 16 minutes into injury time.
This sparked a furious reaction from Morocco fans, who reportedly launched firecrackers and bottles onto the pitch in protest.
Confusion ensued when both teams headed for the tunnel after what most assumed was full-time.
However, it was later revealed that the game had been suspended. It was announced that the match would resume for three minutes behind closed doors, and in a further twist, the legality of Cristian Medina’s headed equaliser for Argentina was called into question and subsequently chalked off after a VAR check for offside.
The match finally ended more than four hours after it had kicked off, with Morocco hanging on to secure a famous 2-1 victory. Neither of these nations played at Tokyo 2020, so they were both keen to make up for lost time at the Olympics.
Things got worse for Argentina early in the second half when Julio Soler fouled Akhomach in the box, allowing Rahimi to double Morocco’s lead by slotting the ball low into the corner from the penalty spot. Argentina, the 2004 and 2008 gold medallists, needed a response and found it with just over 20 minutes remaining. A deep cross found Soler unmarked, and his driven shot across goal was slid into the net by Giuliano Simeone.
Morocco struggled to escape their own half as Argentina’s pressure mounted. Goalkeeper Munir El Kajoui kept Morocco ahead with stunning saves, including a point-blank stop from substitute Bruno Amione and smothering a close-range effort from Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez.
Argentina weren’t complaining when 15 minutes of stoppage time were added. They needed every second, and it appeared their desperate attempts to level the match were rewarded in the 16th added minute. El Kajoui deflected one effort onto the bar, then an Argentina follow-up hit the woodwork again before Medina nodded it in from close range to make it 2-2.
This sparked wild scenes as Morocco fans reportedly threw missiles onto the pitch in protest. Players waited in their dressing rooms while the game was suspended and then returned to the field almost two hours later for the final three minutes behind closed doors. At the restart, officials ruled out Medina’s equaliser for offside, securing Morocco all three points and placing them at the top of Group B.
