Fans’ actions caused further disruption at soccer matches involving Argentina.
Ten days after ticketless fans stormed the Copa America final in Miami, Moroccan supporters stormed the field and hurled objects at Argentina players after Argentina scored what appeared to be an equalizer in the 16th minute of added time in the opening match of the 2024 Olympics in Saint-Etienne, France on Wednesday.
The match was duly stopped before the final whistle after Cristian Medina’s equaliser drew ire from the Moroccan fans in attendance, who at one point appeared to have hurled flares at the Argentina players, causing an ugly aftermath with bottles and cups littering the field.
2024 Paris Olympics
However, nearly two hours after the break, the teams returned to the field and played another three minutes without spectators, before Argentina’s dramatic equaliser was ruled out for offside by VAR.
In the end, the anger of the Moroccan fans was for naught as their team opened Group B with a 2-1 victory in an empty stadium.
Sofiane Rahimi scored two goals to give Morocco a 2-0 lead, and a penalty kick in the 51st minute extended the lead to two.
Argentina pulled one back through Juliano Simeone in the 68th minute before a series of dramatic moments in the final minutes of the game.
After the disorderly disruption by fans, a message was displayed on the stadium’s video board telling spectators to stop the game and head to the nearest exit.
