PARIS: Argentina coach Javier Mascherano labeled the chaotic conclusion of his team’s 2-1 loss to Morocco in the men’s Olympic football opener as a “disgrace” and “a circus.”
Argentina, two-time gold medalists, believed they had secured a 2-2 draw in the Group B match in Saint-Etienne when Cristian Medina scored in the 16th minute of added time. However, crowd trouble ensued, prompting the players to leave the pitch before Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg blew the final whistle.
For a period, the match outcome remained uncertain, with the official IOC website showing it as ended. Eventually, the teams returned two hours later to play out the remaining three minutes in an empty stadium. Medina’s goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review, allowing Morocco, led by Soufiane Rahimi’s two goals, to claim all three points.
“I have not been a coach for long, but never in my career as a player have I seen a situation like that,” said Mascherano, a gold medalist in 2004 and 2008. “It is a circus. But that is how it is. We cannot control it.”
Mascherano explained that the captains had agreed to halt play after Medina’s goal due to projectiles and a pitch invasion. “The captains decided not to play on at that point,” he said. “The annoying thing is that the match was suspended. If you are going to review something, review it just after the incident.”
