Saint-Étienne (France) (AFP) – Chaos and confusion reigned on Wednesday as Morocco beat Argentina 2-1 of their opening sport of the boys’s Olympic soccer match, however solely after a late equaliser for the South American facet was disallowed and the ultimate minutes had been performed out in an empty stadium following crowd hassle.
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Argentina thought they’d escaped from the Group B match in Saint-Etienne with a 2-2 draw when Cristian Medina scored within the sixteenth minute of added time.
However as their gamers celebrated, projectiles together with bottles and plastic cups rained down from the stands and several other spectators entered the pitch, with the referee promptly blowing the whistle.
The groups left the taking part in space, however the referee had not blown for full-time and the result of the match was fully unclear till the edges lastly reappeared two hours later to play out three extra minutes in a stadium by now emptied of spectators.
Medina’s aim was finally disallowed for offside following a VAR assessment, and Morocco held on for all three factors.
It was an undignified begin to the sporting motion on the Paris Video games, and a foul day all spherical for Argentina, whose gamers had been booed as they emerged onto the pitch and throughout the nationwide anthem by the group, most of whom had been supporting Morocco.
That welcome got here after Argentina gamers had been filmed singing racist chants following their victory within the current Copa America.
“It’s a circus,” complained Argentina coach Javier Mascherano.
“At no level did they inform us our aim was not legitimate… this might not even occur in a neighbourhood match. It is pathetic.
“Past the Olympic spirit, the organisation must be as much as normal. In the meanwhile it isn’t, sadly.”
Argentina want to win males’s soccer gold for the third time after success in 2004 and 2008, however Mascherano’s facet trailed 2-0 following a brace by Soufiane Rahimi.
Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi, the Paris Saint-Germain full-back, arrange Rahimi for the opener in first-half stoppage time.
The reigning African Beneath-23 champions doubled their lead six minutes into the second half from the penalty spot, Rahimi changing after Ilias Akhomach was introduced down.
Mascherano, who starred within the groups that gained gold in Athens and Beijing, had at one level hoped to influence Lionel Messi to function among the many three permitted overage gamers in his squad in any other case restricted to these underneath 23.
Messi turned him down, and the most important names of their facet right here had been Manchester Metropolis striker Julian Alvarez and captain Nicolas Otamendi, the Benfica defender.
Giuliano Simeone, son of former Argentina star Diego, got here off the bench to drag one again halfway by way of the second half.
Medina then thought he had saved some extent within the 106th minute as he nodded in after Otamendi and Bruno Amione each hit the woodwork in a frantic few seconds of motion, just for Argentina to be denied.
Argentina’s subsequent sport can be in Lyon on Saturday in opposition to Iraq, who got here from behind to beat Ukraine 2-1 of their opener.
Wins for France, Spain
France have excessive hopes of successful gold on house soil regardless of coach Thierry Henry’s unsuccessful makes an attempt to recruit Kylian Mbappe into his squad.
They beat the USA 3-0 earlier than a big crowd in Marseille, with captain Alexandre Lacazette opening the scoring on 61 minutes through a fantastic strike from vary.
Lacazette then arrange new Bayern Munich signing Michael Olise to curve within the second, and defender Loic Bade headed in a late third.
In the identical Group A, New Zealand defeated Guinea 2-1 with Plymouth Argyle’s Ben Waine getting the winner.
Silver medallists in Tokyo in 2021, Spain opened their bid for gold with a 2-1 win over Uzbekistan in Group C in Paris.
Marc Pubill gave Spain the lead simply earlier than the half-hour mark however Uzbekistan equalised from the penalty spot in first-half added time, Eldor Shomurodov changing after a foul by Barcelona prodigy Pau Cubarsi.
Sergio Gomez had a penalty saved early within the second half, however the former Manchester Metropolis participant netted Spain’s winner simply after the hour mark.
Group rivals Egypt and the Dominican Republic drew 0-0.
Japan beat 10-man Paraguay 5-0 in Group D, whereas Israel and Mali drew 1-1 in a match which handed off with out main incident regardless of preliminary safety fears.
© 2024 AFP
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