In a historic moment for African football, both Egypt and Morocco have secured a place in the semifinals of the men’s Olympic football tournament, ensuring that the continent will have at least one medalist in the competition.
Morocco kicked off the double success with an impressive 4-0 victory over the United States at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. Soufiane Rahimi’s first-half penalty, his fifth goal of the tournament, gave the Atlas Lions a narrow lead at halftime. However, Ilias Akhomach, captain Achraf Hakimi, and another penalty from Mehdi Maouhoub in the second half sealed a comfortable victory for the North African side.
Morocco will now face Spain in the semifinals in Marseille on Monday (16:00 GMT) as they look to secure a spot in the final.
“Fans have been following us all tournament,” said Hakimi, who plays his club football for Paris St Germain. “I hope they can follow us all the way to the final. We want to make them proud.”
Egypt’s road to the semifinals was much more arduous, as they needed a penalty shootout to overcome Paraguay in Bordeaux. Diego Gomez had given Paraguay the lead in the 71st minute, but Ibrahim Adel’s late equalizer in the 88th minute sent the match into extra time.
With the score level at 1-1 after extra time, the game was decided by a penalty shootout. Adel, who had earlier rescued Egypt with his late goal, scored the decisive penalty to send his side through to the semifinals.
Egypt’s reward is a semifinal clash with the host nation, France, in Lyon on Monday (20:00 GMT).
The success of both Egypt and Morocco in reaching the semifinals guarantees that an African nation will secure at least a bronze medal in the men’s Olympic football tournament. This is a significant achievement for the continent, which has traditionally struggled to make an impact on the global stage of international football.
As the two North African teams prepare for their respective semifinal matches, the African continent will be united in its support, hoping to witness history being made with the crowning of the first African Olympic football medalist.
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