Argentina coach Javier Mascherano was left fuming after his team’s 2-1 loss to Morocco in the men’s Olympic football tournament turned into a chaotic and disgraceful event. The game, which was the first football match of Paris 2024, had to be suspended for nearly two hours due to crowd trouble, and it ended up being completed in an empty stadium.
During the match, as Morocco was leading 2-1, Argentina thought they had scored a late equalizer 16 minutes into injury time. This led to bottles being thrown onto the field and a pitch invasion by some Morocco supporters. The referee had to lead both sets of players off the pitch, and the match eventually resumed after fans had left the stadium.
Before the game restarted, Argentina’s equalizer was disallowed for offside after a VAR review. Despite the chaos and confusion, Morocco managed to hold on to their lead across three additional minutes of play.
Mascherano, who has had a successful playing career with Argentina, winning gold in 2004 and 2008, expressed his frustration at the situation. He described it as a “circus” and a “disgrace,” emphasizing that he had never seen anything like it before. Mascherano urged his team to stay focused and look ahead to their upcoming matches in order to secure the points needed to qualify.
The tournament organizers released a statement addressing the incident, stating that the match had been suspended due to a pitch invasion by a small number of spectators. They assured that the match was able to conclude safely and that they were investigating the causes of the disruption to take appropriate actions.
Looking forward, Argentina is set to play their next match against Iraq in Lyon, while Morocco will face Ukraine in Saint-Etienne on the same day. Despite the chaos of the opener, both teams will be looking to regroup and focus on their upcoming matches to secure their spot in the tournament.
The disruptive events during the Argentina vs. Morocco match serve as a reminder of the importance of maintaining order and security during sporting events. It highlights the need for proper organization and oversight to ensure the safety of players and spectators alike. As the tournament continues, teams and organizers must work together to prevent such incidents from happening again and to uphold the spirit of fair play and competition in the Olympic Games.