Morocco Clinch Their Maiden Olympics Bronze Medal as They Score Six Past Egypt

The Atlas Lions created history on 8th August, as they clinched their first ever Olympics medal in men’s football with a thumping win over fellow African nation, Egypt.

Following heartbreaking losses in the semifinals for both Morocco and Egypt, the two nations squared against each other for a chance at winning the bronze medal. However, on the day of the match, only one team turned up.  

The Moroccan were motivated to create history, while the Egyptians looked tired and demotivated after their heartbreaking extra time loss to France. And that showed in this game, as the Atlas Lions blasted six goals past a demoralized Egyptian unit. 

Morocco vs Egypt – Match Summary 

Right from the start, Egypt seemed out of rhythm, and their troubles deepened in the 10th minute when Zizo had to leave the field due to an injury. The Moroccans took advantage of this, as they knew that the Pharaohs were without their star man. Barcelona academy graduate Abde Ezzalzouli’s stunning curler from the edge of the box opened the scoring for Morocco in the 23rd minute.  

Just three minutes later, tournament top scorer Soufiane Rahimi added another goal to his tally. The 28-year-old Moroccan became the first player in Olympics history to score in six consecutive matches. The Atlas Lions were firmly in the driving seat heading into the break. 

However, they found another gear after halftime. Bilal El Khannouss netted Morocco's third goal just six minutes into the second half, delivering a superb finish. After receiving the ball on the edge of the box from Ezzalzouli, El Khannouss skillfully dribbled past two defenders and unleashed a powerful shot that zipped into the bottom left corner of Egypt's goal. Rahimi scored his second goal of the game in the 64th minute.  

At this point, the Egyptians were completely demoralized. Hopes of an Egyptian comeback were completely evaporated. Egypt’s attack looked toothless, as they only registered two shots on target until the 70th minute. Substitute Akram Nakach further compounded Egypt’s misery when he tapped in Morocco’s fifth goal of the day in the 73rd minute. 

The game at this point turned in a mere formality, and from Morocco's perspective, the only thing missing was a goal from Achraf Hakimi. In the 87th minute, Hakimi obliged, as he hammered in a freekick from 35 yards into the top right corner of Egypt’s goal. The Atlas Lions capped off a stellar Olympics campaign with a performance that will live long in the memory of every football fan.  

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