PARIS: Two-time gold medallists Argentina joined Morocco and Egypt in securing their places in the quarter-finals of the men’s Olympic football on the final day of the group stage on Tuesday.
All four sides in Group B were tied on three points going into the last matches, but Javier Mascherano’s Argentina qualified by beating Ukraine 2-0 in Lyon while Morocco eased through with a 3-0 victory against Iraq in Nice.
Morocco, winners of last year’s Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations, finish with the same number of goals scored and conceded as Argentina but go through as group winners because of their superior head-to-head record.
Morocco beat Argentina 2-1 in their opening game, but only after a last-gasp equalizer for the South Americans was disallowed after a VAR review and the final minutes of the game were completed in an empty stadium following crowd trouble.
Morocco will play a quarter-final tie on Friday in Paris against the runners-up in Group A, while the winners of that section will face Argentina in Bordeaux.
Group A will be completed later Tuesday with France needing just a point against New Zealand to secure top spot.
The United States and Guinea are also in Group A, but there is now the possibility of a showdown between Thierry Henry’s French side and Argentina — two of the leading contenders — in the last eight.
Thiago Almada’s superb strike gave Argentina the lead against Ukraine just after half-time and substitute Claudio Echeverri sealed their victory late on, following in to score after a Kevin Zenon shot was parried.
Morocco made short work of Iraq with all their goals coming in the first half.
Amir Richardson, son of former NBA star Michael Ray Richardson, headed Morocco in front and Soufiane Rahimi made it 2-0 from close range just before the half-hour mark for his fourth goal at the tournament.
The third goal, in the 37th minute, was a tremendous strike by Abde Ezzalzouli, who came in from the left and smashed a shot into the far top corner.
Earlier, Egypt reached the quarter-finals with a surprise 2-1 win over already-qualified Spain, with Ibrahim Adel scoring both goals.
Adel gave Egypt the lead in Bordeaux with a superb strike late in the first half and added another on 62 minutes, pouncing to score after possession was given away by Spain’s Jon Pacheco.
Samu Omorodion pulled one back late on for Spain, but Egypt held on for the win that allowed them to leapfrog their opponents and snatch first place in Group C.
Egypt, captained by former Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny, will play their quarter-final on Friday in Marseille against the runners-up in Group D, which contains Japan, Paraguay, Mali and Israel.
Egypt lost in the quarter-finals three years ago to Brazil, who went on to beat Spain in the final.
Spain’s last-eight tie will be in Lyon against the winners of Group D.
Morocco join Argentina in men’s Olympic football knockouts
https://arab.news/82j4w
Morocco join Argentina in men’s Olympic football knockouts
- Morocco, winners of last year’s Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations, finish with the same number of goals scored and conceded as Argentina
- Head-to-head record after fiery clash in opening round sees Atlas Lions top the group
Spain will host 2030 World Cup final, says RFEF president
- Louzan did not say whether the match would be played at Santiago Bernabeu or Camp Nou
- Once completed in late 2028, the new stadium in Morocco is expected to hold 115,000 spectators
MADRID: Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) President Rafael Louzan has said that Spain will stage the final of the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
Morocco wants to stage the game in Casablanca at the Grand Stade Hassan II, a huge stadium currently under construction north of the city.
“Spain has proven its organizational capacity over many years. It will be the leader of the 2030 World Cup and the final of that World Cup will be held here,” Louzan said late on Monday at an event organized by the Madrid Sports Press Association.
Louzan did not say whether the match would be played at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu or Barcelona’s Camp Nou, the two leading candidates.
Once completed in late 2028, the new stadium in Morocco is expected to hold 115,000 spectators. Morocco’s Royal Football Federation (FRMF) President Faouzi Lekjaa last year expressed his wish to see a final against Spain in Casablanca.
Louzan also alluded to the challenges Morocco faced during its hosting of the last Africa Cup of Nations, including the chaotic scenes during the final between Senegal and Morocco this month.
That match, which Senegal won 1-0, was overshadowed by fan disruptions and player protests that temporarily halted play.
“Morocco is really undergoing a transformation in every sense, with magnificent stadiums,” Louzan said. “We must recognize what has been done well. But in the Africa Cup of Nations, we have seen scenes that damage the image of world football.”
FIFA and the Portuguese and Moroccan football federations have not responded to requests for comment on the final’s location.
FIFA told Reuters last year it was premature to decide the venue for the 2030 final, saying the host city for the 2026 World Cup final was revealed only two years before the tournament. World soccer’s ruling body has the final say on where the match will be played.
