Chaos erupted as Morocco defeated Argentina 2-1 in their Olympic football opener. The match, held in Saint-Etienne, ended with crowd trouble and confusion, overshadowing the sporting action.
Argentina believed they had secured a 2-2 draw when Cristian Medina scored in the 16th minute of added time. However, their celebration abruptly ended as projectiles, including bottles and plastic cups, rained from the stands. Spectators stormed the pitch, prompting the referee to blow the whistle.
The teams left the field, but the referee had not signaled full-time. After two hours, the sides returned to play three more minutes in an empty stadium. A VAR review disallowed Medina’s goal for offside, ensuring Morocco’s victory.
This chaotic start to the Paris Games tarnished the event, especially for Argentina. The crowd, largely supporting Morocco, booed Argentina’s players as they emerged onto the pitch and during the national anthems. This hostility followed recent incidents where Argentina players were filmed singing racist chants after their Copa America victory.
Argentina, aiming for their third men’s football gold after wins in 2004 and 2008, fell behind 2-0 due to Soufiane Rahimi’s brace. Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi, a Paris Saint-Germain full-back, set up Rahimi’s opener in first-half stoppage time. Six minutes into the second half, Rahimi scored a penalty after Ilias Akhomach was brought down.
Argentina coach Javier Mascherano, who starred in the gold-winning teams of Athens and Beijing, had hoped Lionel Messi would join as one of the three overage players. However, Messi opted out of the Paris Games. The squad’s notable players included Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez and captain Nicolas Otamendi, the Benfica defender.
Giovanni Simeone, son of former Argentina star Diego Simeone, came off the bench to score midway through the second half. Medina then believed he had equalized in the 106th minute, nodding in after Otamendi and Bruno Amione both hit the woodwork in a frantic sequence. However, the VAR review disallowed the goal.
Later in Lyon, Group B rivals Iraq and Ukraine will face each other, adding more excitement to the group stage of the tournament.
