The opening football match of the Paris Olympic Games 2024 between Argentina and Morocco was suspended for nearly two hours due to violent crowd disturbances. The game was eventually finished in an empty stadium. (More Football News)
Morocco were leading Argentina 2-0 when the South Americans pulled a goal back and pressed for an equalizer. With seconds ticking away in a chaotic 16-minute injury time period, Argentina appeared to have snatched a dramatic 2-2 draw through Cristian Medina.
However, the match was halted for nearly two hours due to violent crowd disturbances. When play resumed in an empty stadium, VAR overturned Argentina's goal, securing a controversial 2-1 victory for Morocco.
Paris Olympics 2024: Argentina Vs Morocco - Timeline
Chaos Unfolds
Immediately after Medina's apparent equalizer, chaos erupted in the stadium. A barrage of cups and bottles rained down on the celebrating Argentine players.
The situation escalated when a flare landed near the ARG players and coaching staff. Players looked terrified and then panic intensified as fans, mostly in Moroccan jersey, stormed the pitch and disrupted the play.
The Riot police acted quickly and moved to control the situation. The referee was forced to stop the match midway. The players were safely escorted off the ground as the crowd's behavior became extremely volatile and dangerous.
As the situation got worse, stadium officials announced the suspension of the game and asked the spectators to empty the premises. A message was displayed on the big screen asking the fans to leave stadium quickly.
The aftermath of the invasion and chaos was even more mystify. Initially, it was unclear whether the game would be abandoned or not. Later on when all the fans left and situation seemed normal, officials decided to resume the play for remaining three minutes in empty stadium.
And, just as the game was about to resume - a dramatic twist made the situation more controversial. A VAR review stating that Argentina's equalizer should be disallowed due to an offside in the build-up. The controversial decision made Moroccans the winner.
The match was suspended at 8:35 pm IST due to the pitch invasion and ensuing chaos. After a tense wait, the players returned to warm up at 10:15 pm IST, with the game restarting at 10:30 pm IST behind empty stands.
Immediately, the referee reviewed the controversial goal on the pitchside monitor. As expected, the 'equalizer' was disallowed.
Play resumed shortly after for the final three minutes. With no further goals scored, Morocco secured a dramatic 2-1 victory.
A statement from the tournament organisers said, "The football match between Argentina and Morocco at the Saint-Etienne Stadium was suspended due to a pitch invasion by a small number of spectators.
"The match then restarted and was able to conclude safely. Paris 2024 is working with the relevant stakeholders to understand the causes and identify appropriate actions."
Soufiane Rahimi scored twice for Morocco, while Giuliano Simeone pulled one back for Argentina. Argentina, coached by Javier Mascherano, must now beat Iraq and Ukraine to reach the quarterfinals.
