Olympics football rocked by absolute insanity in Argentina-Morocco madness

There have been ugly, embarrassing scenes at the Olympics with a match shut down following crowd violence and sheer insanity on the field.

The goal was disallowed. 24: Abde Ezzalzouli of Team Morocco is followed by pitch invaders. Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images and EuroSport.

Chaos and confusion reigned on Thursday (AEST) as Morocco beat Argentina 2-1 in their opening game of the men’s Olympic football tournament, but only after a late equaliser for the South American side was disallowed and the final minutes were played out in an empty stadium following crowd trouble.

It took more than two hours after the late goal was scored before it was sensationally denied by the VAR.

Argentine legend and Olympic team coach Javier Mascherano called it “the biggest circus I’ve ever seen in my life” and told reporters after the match that members of his team had been robbed the day before the game.

The Liverpool icon slammed the amateurish management of the game and said his team weren’t told the goal was being reviewed until the match re-started.

Lionel Messi was one of several superstars flummoxed by the scenes.

“Unbelievable,” he wrote on Twitter.

Argentine star Nicolas Otamendi said after the game: “It’s a historic embarrassment. Nothing like this has ever happened before.

“Morocco didn’t want to play and neither did we. We waited for an hour and forty minutes, but no one told us anything.

“It makes you feel powerless because these are the Olympic Games.”

Argentina thought they had escaped from the Group B match in Saint-Etienne with a 2-2 draw when Cristian Medina scored in the 16th minute of added time.

But as their players celebrated, projectiles including bottles and plastic cups rained down from the stands and several spectators entered the pitch, with the referee promptly blowing the whistle.

The goal was disallowed. 24: Abde Ezzalzouli of Team Morocco is followed by pitch invaders. Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images and EuroSport.

The teams left the playing area, but the referee had not blown for full-time and the outcome of the match was completely unclear until the sides finally reappeared two hours later to play out three more minutes in a stadium that was by now emptied of spectators.

Medina’s goal was eventually disallowed for offside following a VAR review, and Morocco held on to claim all three points.

The vision of the controversial late goal has shocked football commentators with most calling for the result to be overturned before the crowd chaos began. In the end they got their wish with Morocco being awarded the full points.

One football commentator wrote on Twitter: “Argentina equalise in the 116th minute. The biggest scandal in Olympics Football history.

“Morocco fans have stormed the pitch, fire crackers were flying and absolute chaos erupted.

“What a shame for the Olympics.”

The shot that saw the goal disallowed by VAR. Photo: EuroSport.

The goal was tapped over the line. Photo: EuroSport.

Another posted: “Justice done but why did it took 2 hours. One of the most embarrassing moments in football ever”.

A EuroSport commentator called for the goal to be deleted. “Wow. I cannot believe it,” she said.

It was an undignified start to the sporting action at the Paris Games, and a bad day all round for Argentina, whose players were booed as they emerged onto the pitch and during the national anthems by the crowd, most of whom were supporting Morocco.

That welcome came after Argentina players were filmed singing racist chants following their victory in the recent Copa America.

Argentina are looking to win men’s football gold for the third time after success in 2004 and 2008, but Javier Mascherano’s side trailed 2-0 following a brace by Soufiane Rahimi.

Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi, the Paris Saint-Germain full-back who is one of the biggest names featuring in the tournament, set up Rahimi for the opener at the end of a fine move in first-half stoppage time.

General view inside the stadium after the Men's group B match between Argentina and Morocco during the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on July 24, 2024 in Saint-Etienne, France. (Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images)

The reigning African Under-23 champions doubled their lead six minutes into the second half from the penalty spot, UAE-based forward Rahimi stroking in the spot-kick after Ilias Akhomach was brought down.

Argentina coach Mascherano, who starred in the teams that won gold in Athens and Beijing, had at one point hoped to persuade Lionel Messi to feature among the three permitted overage players in his squad otherwise limited to those under 23.

Messi opted not to come to the Paris Games, and the biggest names in their side here were Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez and captain Nicolas Otamendi, the Benfica defender.

Simeone, son of former Argentina star Diego, came off the bench to pull one back midway through the second half.

A giant screen informs about the match's interruption. Photo by Arnaud FINISTRE / AFP.

Medina then thought he had saved a point in the 106th minute as he nodded in after Otamendi and Bruno Amione had both hit the woodwork in a frantic few seconds of action, only for Argentina to be denied.

Group B rivals Iraq and Ukraine meet later in Lyon.

Silver medallists in Tokyo three years ago, Spain opened their bid for gold with a 2-1 win over Uzbekistan in Group C at the Parc des Princes in Paris.

The Spain team featured two members of their Euro 2024-winning squad in Alex Baena and Fermin Lopez, but it was Marc Pubill who gave them the lead just before the half-hour mark.

Uzbekistan had chances and drew level from the penalty spot in first-half added time following a foul by Pau Cubarsi, with Roma forward Eldor Shomurodov converting the kick.

Cubarsi, the 17-year-old Barcelona prodigy, had been booked early on and did not reappear for the second half.

Sergio Gomez then had a penalty saved early in the second half, but the former Manchester City player netted Spain’s winner just after the hour mark as he fired in from Juan Miranda’s cutback.

Group rivals Egypt and the Dominican Republic drew 0-0.

The pick of Wednesday’s later games sees hosts France face the United States in Marseille in Group A, with Thierry Henry’s team hoping to win a medal despite failing in their attempts to enrol the services of Kylian Mbappe.

New Zealand defeated Guinea 2-1 in the same section with Plymouth Argyle’s Ben Waine getting the winner.

— with AFP