The potential for an all-African final in the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is close as two North African countries, Egypt and Morocco prepare for their semi-final matches on Monday.
With the eyes of Africa and the world upon them, Morocco and Egypt stand on the brink of greatness after advancing to the semi-finals on Friday.
The Atlas Lions of Morocco in their eighth appearance in the Olympic football tournament, have reached the semi-finals for the first time. Their journey has been spectacular, marked by tactical brilliance and individual talent that has trailed their opponents.
Central to Morocco’s success is striker Soufiane Rahimi, who has been in outstanding form, scoring in each of Morocco’s four matches. With five goals, Rahimi leads the tournament’s scoring charts and is on the verge of making history. If he scores against Spain in the semi-final, he will become the first player to score in five consecutive Olympic matches for an African team.
Rahimi’s dedication to the team’s success is unwavering. Ahead of the semi-final clash with Spain, he said, “We hope to go on with the fans’ support until the end of the tournament. My priority is to help the team, and I hope I’ll score in the semi-finals to reach the final.”
However, Morocco’s path to glory is challenging. They face a strong Spanish team that is familiar with the pressures of Olympic football. Runners-up in Tokyo 2020, Spain is aiming for a return to the gold medal match and boasts a squad filled with talent from Europe’s top clubs. The last time Spain faced an African team in an Olympic semi-final was in 1992 when they defeated Ghana en route to winning gold. Morocco aims to reverse that outcome, relying on their solid defense and swift counterattacks to disrupt Spain’s rhythm.
Meanwhile, in the other semi-final, Egypt’s Pharaohs are crafting their own compelling story. After a tense penalty shootout victory over Paraguay in the quarter-finals, Egypt finds themselves in their third Olympic semi-final. This time, the team aspires to go further and reach the gold medal match for the first time in their history.
The road to the final pits Egypt against tournament hosts France in what promises to be a thrilling encounter at the Stade de Lyon. The only previous Olympic meeting between these two nations was in the 1984 quarter-finals, where France triumphed before winning the tournament. Egypt aims to avenge that defeat and create their piece of Olympic history.
Ahmed Atef, Egypt’s midfield dynamo, expressed the team’s determination: “We have been fighting for two years for this moment. We promised our people that we would win a medal in this championship, so we will continue to fight for our dream until the end.”
The prospect of an all-African final is unprecedented in Olympic football history. If both Morocco and Egypt win their semi-finals, it will guarantee Africa its third gold medal in men’s Olympic football.
