Securing their place in the Olympic men’s football semi-finals, France claimed victory over Argentina with a score of 1-0 in a tense encounter. Jean-Philippe Mateta was the sole goal scorer, finding the net early into the quarter-final clash in Bordeaux by expertly connecting with Michael Olise’s corner using a near-post header.
Maintaining their bid for the gold medal in Paris on August 9, the hosts, managed by Thierry Henry, advanced to the last four alongside Spain, Morocco, and Egypt.
This match marked the first showdown between the nations since the controversy arose when Argentina players were captured on video making racist remarks about their French counterparts following their Copa America triumph in mid-July.
FIFA has initiated an investigation into the offensive chants, which were directed at players like Kylian Mbappe, consisting of racial and homophobic slurs.
The Argentine team faced a hostile reception in Bordeaux, with fans loudly booing during their national anthem. This encounter was also the first meeting between the teams since Argentina emerged victorious in the 2022 World Cup final through penalties.
Tensions escalated post-match as players and staff from both sides engaged in on-field altercations, with confrontations extending into the tunnel.
In a controversial turn of events, midfielder Enzo Millot received a red card after the final whistle, despite being substituted late in the game, prompting dissatisfaction from Henry, who expressed his displeasure on French broadcaster France 3.
Despite missed opportunities from Giuliano Simeone and Julian Alvarez of Argentina, the two-time Olympic gold medalists’ elimination ensures that the men’s football gold medal will not be claimed by a Latin American team for the first time since Cameroon’s triumph in Sydney in 2000.
Although France could have widened their lead, an additional goal by Olise was disallowed due to a foul in the build-up.
Spain and Morocco Progress
France is now anticipated to emerge victorious in their semi-final match against Egypt in Lyon on Monday, following Egypt’s 5-4 penalty shootout triumph over Paraguay after a 1-1 draw in Marseille. Ibrahim Adel was Egypt’s standout performer, securing a late equalizer in regular time and converting the decisive penalty.
In an earlier face-off, Spain secured a 3-0 victory over Japan in Lyon, with Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez scoring a remarkable brace. Lopez’s goals in the 11th and 73rd minutes, along with a goal from captain Abel Ruiz, secured a spot for Spain to compete against Morocco in Marseille.
Morocco demonstrated dominance by defeating the United States 4-0 in Paris, with Soufiane Rahimi, Ilias Akhomach, Achraf Hakimi, and Mehdi Maouhoub all finding the back of the net.
Confident in their performance, Akhomach stated, “If we maintain our current level of play, we deserve to be in the final. While our achievements may go unnoticed, we are focused on achieving victory.”
AFP