Soufiane Rahimi scored two objectives as Morocco received the bronze medal with a 6-0 rout of Egypt on Thursday for the group’s first podium end on the Olympics.
Abde Ezzalzouli, Bilal El Khannouss, Akram Nakach and Achraf Hakimi additionally scored for Morocco, which went into half-time with a 2-0 result in the delight of Moroccan followers at Nantes’ La Beaujoire Stadium.
Rahimi scored eight objectives in France, most within the event. At 28, he is without doubt one of the overage gamers allowed on the under-23 Olympic squads.
It was Egypt’s third fourth-place end on the Olympics — after Amsterdam in 1928 and Tokyo in 1964.
Morocco has been impressed all through the event by its senior males’s group, which was a shock semifinalist on the World Cup in 2022. The gamers have additionally been boosted by the devoted followers who’ve adopted the group on its journey in France.
“We wished to win the gold medal, that is for positive, however to win a sport like this, to get our nation’s first-ever medal right here and in entrance of so lots of our followers, it feels unimaginable,” stated ahead Ilias Akhomach.
The group additionally trounced the USA 4-0 at Parc des Princes in Paris within the quarterfinals however then misplaced to Spain 2-1 within the semifinals. Spain will play France on Friday for the gold medal.
Moroccan followers have been fervent of their help all through the event. Within the group stage, they rushed the sector and threw bottles in a 2-1 win over Argentina, inflicting the sport to be suspended for round two hours.
Rahimi’s first aim got here off a header within the twenty sixth minute that Egypt goalkeeper Hamza Alaa acquired a glove on however could not cease.
Lower than three minutes earlier than Rahimi’s aim, Ezzalzouli scored from the highest of the penalty field into the far nook. He joined his Moroccan teammates in a prayer on the nook of the sector after the aim.
Morocco noticed the return of midfielder El Khannouss, who was suspended for the semifinal. He made it 3-0 by shaking off a sequence of defenders for a aim within the 51st.
Rahimi’s second got here within the sixty fourth, and he assisted on Nakach’s aim within the 73rd.
Hakimi, who performs in France for Paris Saint-Germain, scored on a late free kick.
“All credit score to Morocco. They had been unimaginable in entrance of aim. They’d a really excessive proportion when it comes to their ending. For us, it wasn’t to be right now,” stated Egypt coach Rogerio Micale, who coached Brazil to the gold medal on residence soil on the 2016 Video games.
Egypt was with out Omar Fayed, who was despatched off with a pink card within the semifinal towards France.
Egypt additionally misplaced winger Zizo, one of many groups overage gamers, who needed to go away within the twelfth minute after pulling up with an damage.
