France’s victory over New Zealand in their final group game has set the stage for a thrilling quarter-final match against Argentina in the men’s Olympic football tournament.
After securing their spot in the last-eight, Argentina will face France, who also advanced to the knockout phase by defeating New Zealand with goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta, Desire Doue, and Arnaud Kalimuendo in Marseille.
France topped Group A with an impeccable record of three wins and no goals conceded, while the United States secured the runner-up position by beating Guinea 3-0, with Kevin Paredes scoring twice.
The clash between Thierry Henry’s French side and Argentina is scheduled to take place in Bordeaux on Friday. Argentina, two-time gold medalists, advanced to the quarter-finals by finishing second in Group B after a 2-0 victory over Ukraine in Lyon.
Argentina took the lead through Thiago Almada’s impressive strike shortly after half-time, and Claudio Echeverri sealed their victory with a late goal.
This upcoming matchup will be the first encounter between the two nations since the controversial incident where Argentina players were heard singing racist chants aimed at French players during their Copa America celebrations. The incident led FIFA to launch an investigation into the matter, which involved offensive remarks against France’s star striker Kylian Mbappe and others.
Argentina has faced jeers from rival fans during the Olympic tournament, setting the stage for a tense encounter with France, with memories of their last meeting in the 2022 World Cup final still fresh in mind.
Despite their previous encounter, it’s worth noting that the men’s Olympic football tournament is limited to under-23 players, with the allowance of up to three over-age players per squad. The majority of players from both squads did not feature in the 2022 World Cup final.
In another quarter-final match, Morocco, who finished level on points with Argentina, will face the United States in Paris after securing their spot by beating Iraq 3-0 in their final group game.
– Egypt Springs a Surprise Against Spain –
Egypt caused an upset by defeating Spain 2-1 in their final group match, with Ibrahim Adel scoring both goals to seal the victory and secure first place in Group C.
Adel’s brilliant strikes gave Egypt the lead and a significant advantage over Spain, who managed to pull one back through Samu Omorodion but failed to prevent Egypt from securing the win.
The Egyptian team, led by former Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny, will face the runners-up of Group D, which includes Japan, Paraguay, Mali, and Israel, in the quarter-finals scheduled to be held in Marseille on Friday.
Spain, on the other hand, will lock horns with the winners of Group D in Lyon, with both teams eager to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
Stay tuned for more updates as the tournament progresses.
AFP