Saint-Étienne, July 25: In a dramatic turn of events, Argentina’s Olympic football opener against Morocco descended into chaos after a pitch invasion forced the game to be suspended for over an hour. The match, held at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, was eventually completed behind closed doors, with Morocco emerging victorious 2-1.
Javier Mascherano, Argentina’s coach, expressed frustration over the lack of communication from organizers during the prolonged stoppage. “I’ve never seen such a circus,” Mascherano said. “We spent over an hour and a half in the dressing room without knowing what was happening. The Moroccan captains didn’t want to play, and we didn’t want to continue either.”
Despite the turmoil, Mascherano urged his team to focus on their upcoming Group B matches against Iraq and Ukraine. “It’s no use complaining,” he added. “We have to turn the page and look for positive things.”
Morocco’s goals came from Soufiane Rahimi, who scored in the final seconds of the first half and again from the penalty spot in the 49th minute. Giuliano Simeone pulled one back for Argentina in the 68th minute, but their efforts to equalize were thwarted by the chaotic end to the match.
In other Olympic men’s football action, Spain secured a 2-1 victory over Uzbekistan at the Parc des Princes. Goals from Marc Pubill and Sergio Gómez, either side of half-time, secured the win despite an equalizer from Eldor Shomurodov following a VAR-reviewed penalty.
Spain coach Santi Denia acknowledged the challenge posed by Uzbekistan and highlighted areas for improvement. “We achieved our objective, but there is work to be done,” Denia said. “Improving ball circulation will be key as we move forward in the tournament.”