By Morocco’s Dramatic Olympic Debut Ends in Stalemate with Argentina
In a nail-biting opener at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Morocco came agonizingly close to achieving a remarkable victory before Argentina secured a last-gasp equalizer in the 15th minute of added time. The thrilling encounter took place on Wednesday at the Stade Geoffroy Guichard in Saint-Etienne and ended in a 2-2 draw.
Morocco’s U23 team, dubbed the Lion Cubs of the Atlas, had a dream start thanks to a brace from Soufiane Rahimi. Leading for most of the match, they faced intense pressure in the second half, eventually succumbing amid controversial circumstances in what was an exceptionally prolonged period of stoppage time.
Both teams struggled with the weight of delivering a strong performance, evident in their physical but technically imprecise play. Consequently, there were few opportunities to test the goalkeepers early on. Argentina’s Geronimo Rulli was called into action just once in the first half to deflect a direct free-kick from Ilias Akhomach (37’). Earlier, Villarreal’s winger had also shown flair but failed to capitalize on his run, missing the target (23’).
Rahimi’s Double Puts Morocco in Command
It wasn’t until the tail end of the first half that the game finally saw its first major chance, leading to the opening goal. Bilal El Khannouss’s precise cross from the right found Rahimi, who clinically finished past Rulli (45’+2).
Ideal timing for Morocco, who soon doubled their lead post-intermission. Akhomach, after an individual duel near the goal line, won a penalty which Rahimi converted with ease for his second (51’).
Morocco Denied Victory Despite Munir’s Heroics
Facing a two-goal deficit, Argentina roared back into the match, opening up play and creating opportunities. Betis winger Ez Abde, replacing Akhomach, nearly set up Rahimi for a hat-trick, only for Rulli to make the save (60′). Giuliano Simeone halved the deficit, redirecting Julio Soler’s strike into the net (68’).
Argentina pressed hard in the closing stages but found themselves repeatedly thwarted by Morocco’s goalkeeper Munir El Kajoui. Munir made crucial saves to deny Bruno Amione (78′) and Julian Alvarez (82′), maintaining Morocco’s slender lead.
In a dramatic conclusion, reminiscent of the intense finishes seen in the 2022 World Cup, Argentina drew level. Medina’s header during the dying moments of the extended extra time broke Moroccan hearts (90’+5), ensuring both teams shared the spoils.
As a result, Morocco currently sits second in Group A behind Argentina. Tarik Sektioui’s squad will need to recover quickly and prepare for their upcoming match against Ukraine on Saturday.
Argentina vs. Morocco Lineups
Olympic debutant Javier Mascherano named his starting eleven for Argentina, while Morocco’s lineup was also confirmed ahead of the clash.
Refer to this tweet by the Argentine team and the tweet by the Moroccan team for the full rosters.
<script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
This thrilling start sets the tone for an exciting Olympic football tournament ahead.
