Olympics: Jean-Philippe Mateta’s Goal Secures France’s 1-0 Victory Over Argentina and Semifinal Spot
03.08.2024: In a thrilling Olympic quarterfinal clash, France edged past Argentina with a 1-0 victory, thanks to an early goal by Jean-Philippe Mateta. The match, held at Bordeaux on Friday night, saw the hosts advance to the semifinals, setting the stage for an exciting showdown against Egypt.
The decisive moment came in the 5th minute when Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta scored with a perfect header from a corner taken by former teammate Michael Olise. This early strike proved sufficient for Les Bleus, as Argentina couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities, leaving the South American team to lament their missed chances.
This victory intensifies the ongoing rivalry between France and Argentina, which has been building since the 2022 World Cup final. In that dramatic match, Argentina defeated France on penalties, avenging their earlier loss to France in the 2018 World Cup’s second round. The 2022 final, ending 3-3 after extra time, was marred by racist chants from some Argentinian fans and subsequent mocking of French players, including superstar Kylian Mbappe.
Argentina’s Copa America triumph in July added more fuel to the fire, as some players were caught singing racist chants targeting French players of African descent. This backdrop added extra tension to Friday’s Olympic encounter.
In another quarterfinal match, Morocco achieved a historic 4-0 victory over the United States at Parc des Princes, advancing to the Olympic men’s football semifinals for the first time. Morocco dominated the game, with two penalties contributing to their comprehensive win. Soufiane Rahimi opened the scoring with a penalty in the 29th minute, followed by goals from Ilias Akhomach, PSG’s Achraf Hakimi, and substitute Mehdi Maouhoub, who converted another penalty in stoppage time after a VAR review.
Morocco’s triumph sets up a semifinal clash with Spain, who defeated Japan 3-0 in their quarterfinal match.