Morocco achieved a 2-1 victory over Argentina in their Olympic Games men’s football match, following the controversial disallowance of a late equalizer.
The game began strongly for Morocco, with Soufiane Rahimi scoring twice in the first half to give the Atlas Lions a 2-0 lead.
Rahimi’s goals came in the 39th and 51st minutes, with the second being a penalty that left Argentina’s goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli helpless.
Argentina responded with a goal from Giuliano Simeone in the 68th minute, but Morocco held on to secure a historic win.
However, deep into stoppage time, Christian Medina bundled the ball home from virtually on the goal line to level the scores at 2-2.
In a stunning turn of events, the equalizer was ruled out over two hours later, following chaos and protests from Morocco fans who had invaded the pitch.
The match was subsequently abandoned, and the final moments were played out behind closed doors.
The controversy is likely to overshadow the Atlas Lions’ impressive performance. Morocco will next face Ukraine, while Argentina will look to recover with a match against Iraq on Saturday.
