Argentina, Morocco, and Egypt secured their places in the quarterfinals of the men’s Olympic football on the final day of the group stage. All four sides in Group B were tied on three points going into the last matches, but Argentina qualified by beating Ukraine 2-0 while Morocco won 3-0 against Iraq. Morocco, the winners of last year’s Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations, will play in the quarter-final against the runners-up in Group A while Argentina will face the winners of that section. Thiago Almada and Claudio Echeverri scored for Argentina in their victory over Ukraine. In another match, Morocco defeated Iraq with goals from Amir Richardson, Soufiane Rahimi, and Abde Ezzalzouli.
Egypt also advanced to the quarterfinals with a 2-1 win over already-qualified Spain. Ibrahim Adel scored both goals for Egypt, leading them to victory and finishing top of Group C. Adel’s first goal came late in the first half, followed by another on 62 minutes. Spain’s Samu Omorodion pulled one back late in the game, but Egypt held on for the win. Egypt, captained by former Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny, will face the runners-up in Group D in the quarter-final. Egypt lost in the quarter-finals three years ago to Brazil, who went on to win the tournament by beating Spain in the final.
The win puts Morocco on top of their group with a superior head-to-head record over Argentina. Morocco faced Argentina in their opening match, where they secured a 2-1 victory despite controversy surrounding a last-gasp equalizer for Argentina being disallowed after a VAR review. The final minutes of the match were played in an empty stadium due to crowd trouble. Morocco’s quarter-final tie will be against the runners-up in Group A, while Argentina will face the winners of that group. The possibility of a showdown between France and Argentina, two leading contenders, in the quarterfinals is also on the cards.
The Men’s Olympic Football Tournament has seen some surprising results, with teams like Egypt and Morocco making impressive performances. Egypt’s win over Spain was unexpected, and Morocco’s dominance in their group showcases the strength of African football. With Argentina making their mark as two-time gold medallists, the quarter-final matchups promise to be exciting. The upcoming games will determine which team will advance to the semi-finals and eventually compete for the Olympic gold medal. Football fans around the world are eagerly awaiting the knockout stage to see which team will emerge victorious in the men’s Olympic football competition.
