Olympics Football Match Interrupted by Chaos

The Olympics’ first football match faced chaos, leading to a nearly two-hour suspension and completion in an empty stadium. Morocco initially led 2-0 against Argentina, who pulled a goal back. Cristian Medina’s attempt to equalize in the 16th minute of added time triggered significant crowd trouble. Fans threw bottles and cups and a flare landed near the players.

Some Moroccan supporters stormed the pitch, prompting riot police and stewards to intervene. The referee took the players off the field as the stadium evacuated, and a big screen announced, “Your session has been suspended, please make your way to the nearest exit.” It remained unclear whether the match had officially ended until officials announced that the final three minutes would take place in an empty stadium.

Before resuming, VAR disallowed Argentina’s potential equalizer, ruling it out for offside. The match resumed at 18:00 BST with no further goals, and Morocco secured a controversial 2-1 victory. Soufiane Rahimi scored both goals for Morocco, one before halftime and another from a penalty in the second half. Giuliano Simeone, the son of former Argentina midfielder Diego Simeone scored for Argentina.

Despite the drama, Morocco earned the three points. Argentina, winners of the Olympic football tournament in 2004 and 2008, now face crucial matches against Iraq and Ukraine to advance to the Olympics quarter-finals. Javier Mascherano, the current manager and a member of the 2008 winning squad must guide his team to positive results.

The tournament organizers acknowledged the pitch invasion and stated they are working with relevant stakeholders to address the incident.