Trouble from the crowd forced the first Olympic football match to be stopped for almost two hours. The game ended in an empty stadium due to the wild scenes.
Argentina was losing against Morocco 2-0. Argentina had already tied the score with one goal and was making a lot of effort to score another. In extra time, Cristian Medina scored what appeared to be the equalizer.
After Medina’s goal, supporters hurled cups and bottles at the Argentina squad while they were celebrating. Even the coaches and players were in close proximity to the flare. When some Moroccan supporters stormed onto the pitch, security removed them.
The referee made the decision to end the game and instructed the spectators to vacate the stadium. The large screen announced that the session had ended and that everyone needed to locate the closest exit.
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The final three minutes would be played without any spectators in the stadium, though it was not immediately evident if the game was ended. Upon examining the footage, it was determined that Argentina’s goal was not valid since it was offside.
When play eventually resumed, Morocco prevailed 2-1. Both of Morocco’s goals came from penalties in the second half, one from Soufiane Rahimi shortly before halftime. Giuliano Simeone of Argentina scored the team’s goal.
The game was halted, according to the tournament organizers, because some spectators had entered the field. To ascertain what went wrong and how to stop it from happening again, they are looking into the issue.
