by Ben Ayuko
{image by TheCable}
Argentina took on Morocco in what is sure to be remembered as one of the most controversial games since the Video Assisted Technology (VAR) was introduced.
It was a tentative start but some neat interplay down the right wing just before the half-time break saw Bilal el Khhannouss send a low cross into the box for Centre Forward Soufiane Rahimi to tap into the Argentina net. 1-0 to Morocco going into half time.
Morocco flew out of the traps at the start of the second half and it took only 5 minutes for them to double their lead. An incident in the Argentina penalty box saw the referee award Morocco a penalty, which Rahimi calmly dispatched to increase Morocco’s lead. 2-0 to the good.
Argentina hit back in the 68th minute when Giuliano Simeone diverted a wayward shot by Julio Soler into the Moroccan net.
There was about 15 minutes of added time given and Argentina did not intend to waste it. They made attacking substitutions and waited for their moment. And in the last minute of injury time, their bravery was rewarded.
Commotion inside the box after shot saw desperation creep into the minds of the Moroccans. They lunged and chased after the ball as it bounced around in the box. Finally, the ball bounced off the crossbar and right onto Cristian Medina’s forehead who couldn’t miss from point blank range.
2-2 the final score, Argentina rescuing a draw from the jaws of defeat.
Or so we thought.
This prompted a raucous reaction from the Moroccan fans as they ran onto the pitch and began hurling coins and bottles at the pitch, as any sore loser would do. Because of the risk toward the players, the lay was put off until the fans had calmed themselves. Seeing as this was the last action of the game anyway, the stadium emptied, with the players now in their changing rooms.
Important to note that, the referee still hadn’t blown his whistle at full time meaning, effectively, the game was still on going.
Sure enough, he called the players back onto the pitch and informed them of a VAR review that had been analyzing Argentina’s goal. The verdict was that the goal scorer was in violation of the Offside law and therefore the goal was null and void.
Cue the celebrations from the Moroccan players as the referee then blew the final whistle to end the game.
Oh, and this happened more than an hour after the game had been initially suspended.
Heartbreak for Argentina.
Argentina coach Javier Mascherano did not mince his words at the decision.
“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, who won gold with Argentina in 2004 and 2008. “It is a circus. But that is how it is. We cannot control it…” “It is a disgrace that this should happen and poison the tournament. This wouldn’t even happen in a neighbourhood tournament. It’s pathetic…”
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.“
Major controversy at the Paris Olympics, and we haven’t even seen the opening ceremony yet.