Morocco outclassed the USA with a 4-0 victory, securing a place in the semifinals of the Olympic men’s football tournament, with Captain Achraf Hakimi among the scorers.
With the majority of a vibrant and packed Parc des Princes crowd cheering them on, Morocco proved too powerful for the USA.
Soufiane Rahimi scored the opening goal from the penalty spot, followed by Ilias Akhomach and Hakimi adding to Morocco’s tally in the second half. Mehdi Maouhoub sealed the victory with another penalty.
Having topped their group ahead of Argentina, Morocco is now a top contender for the gold medal and will face either Japan or Spain in the Olympic semifinals on Monday in Marseille. The final is set for Friday, August 9, at Parc des Princes.
Morocco’s impressive performance has rallied a significant following from the Moroccan community in France, who have turned out in force.
The team, which qualified by winning last year’s Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations, is spearheaded by renowned fullback Achraf Hakimi, alongside energetic wingers Ilias Akhomach and Abde Ezzalzouli, and prolific striker Soufiane Rahimi.
https://twitter.com/Olympics/status/1819394425946021998?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1819394425946021998%7Ctwgr%5Efba10dea5e39cf5086b339d1b12153ce58368cbb%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Furl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FOlympics%2Fstatus%2F1819394425946021998Rahimi, the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals in four games, converted an early penalty and effectively sealed the match, leaving the U.S. with little chance of mounting a comeback.
Miles Robinson had a chance for the Americans shortly before the hour mark, but Morocco extended their lead on 63 minutes.
Abde Ezzalzouli delivered a superb assist from the left flank, setting up Ilias Akhomach to score at the near post.
Achraf Hakimi then added a third goal with 20 minutes to go, scoring on his home turf at Paris Saint-Germain’s ground.
A stoppage-time penalty from Mehdi Maouhoub, awarded after a VAR review for handball by Nathan Harriel, completed the 4-0 victory.
Later on Friday, the remaining quarterfinals will be played, including a key match in Bordeaux between hosts France, managed by Thierry Henry, and two-time gold medallists Argentina.
Miles Robinson had a chance for the Americans shortly before the hour mark, but Morocco extended their lead on 63 minutes.
Abde Ezzalzouli delivered a superb assist from the left flank, setting up Ilias Akhomach to score at the near post.
Achraf Hakimi then added a third goal with 20 minutes to go, scoring on his home turf at Paris Saint-Germain’s ground. A stoppage-time penalty from Mehdi Maouhoub, awarded after a VAR review for handball by Nathan Harriel, completed the 4-0 victory.
Later on Friday, the remaining quarterfinals will be played, including a key match in Bordeaux between hosts France, managed by Thierry Henry, and two-time gold medallists Argentina.
The quarterfinal clash between France and Argentina will mark their first encounter since Argentina’s players were caught on camera singing racist chants about their French opponents during their Copa America victory celebration in mid-July.
FIFA has since launched an investigation into the chants, which included racist and homophobic slurs directed at French star Kylian Mbappe and others.
In the second quarterfinal, Spain faces Japan. For live updates, follow Al Jazeera’s coverage of the match.
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