The opening football match of the Paris 2024 Olympics witnessed chaos as crowd disturbances led to a nearly two-hour suspension, concluding finally in a stadium devoid of spectators. Initially, Morocco was in the lead, scoring two goals against Argentina. Argentina managed to narrow the gap with a goal and pushed hard for an equaliser. Cristian Medina seemingly netted a second goal in the 16th minute of what was supposed to be 15 minutes of added time at the end of the match.
Following the uproar from the crowd, the game resumed after an extensive delay with no fans in the stands. VAR disallowed Argentina’s equaliser, and Morocco secured a contentious 2-1 victory.
Soufiane Rahimi was the hero for Morocco, scoring twice: first just before the break and then converting a penalty early in the second half, setting the stage for their 2024 gold-medal aspirations.
Argentina’s comeback effort saw Giuliano Simeone, son of Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone, score to reduce the deficit. Despite the tumult, Morocco emerged victorious, claiming all three points.
Argentina, having previously won the Olympic football tournament in 2004 and 2008, is under the management of former Liverpool and Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano in 2024. To advance, his team now needs favourable results against Iraq on Saturday and Ukraine on Tuesday to secure a top-two finish in the group and progress to the quarter-finals.
A statement from the organisers read: “The football match between Argentina and Morocco at the Saint-Etienne Stadium was suspended due to a pitch invasion by a small number of spectators.
“The match then restarted and was able to conclude safely. Paris 2024 is working with the relevant stakeholders to understand the causes and identify appropriate actions.”