Paris 2024 Football Men's Semi-finals Round-Up

The football tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics is at its business end. On Day 10, two thrilling Olympic semifinals took place. One featured the French Men's National Team facing off against Egypt, while the other saw Spain take on Morocco.

Some of the football being played at the 2024 Olympics has been spellbinding, and the four semifinalists have consistently been brilliant throughout the tournament. However, with a place in the finals on the line, both France and Spain overcame their African opponents. But if you failed to catch the thrilling action of the semifinals, do not worry because we’ve got you covered.   

1) France 3 – 1 Egypt  

France was the odds-on favorite to advance to the finals going into the game. However, a well marshalled Egyptian side gave Les Bleus plenty of problems. France had to overcome a 1-0 deficit in order to book their spot in the finals. After a timid start, Les Bleus gradually grew into the game. Alexandre Lacazette had the first big chance of the match, as he guided a delicate header onto the post. On the ensuing follow up, French defender Loic Bade struck the crossbar again from Joris Chotard’s cross. 

Despite France’s constant probing, it was Egypt who took the lead in the 62nd minute. Egyptian midfielder Mahmoud Saber hammered home an emphatic finish that left Guillaume Restes with no chance of stopping it. Les Bleus continued their assault on the Egyptian goal, but the Pharaohs’ rearguard stood strong. However, deep into the game, Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the equalizer from a clever Olise through ball.  

Regulation time ended with the scores tied at 1-1. Now, both the teams had to endure a grueling 30 minutes. The Egyptians were visibly leggy, while the French players looked much fresher. And that energy came in handy, as Mateta added his second of the night.  

New Bayern man Michael Olise rubber-stamped Les Bleus’ win by scoring their third goal of the night in the 108th minute. Now, Thierry Henry’s men have the chance to win their first Olympic gold medal in 40 years on Friday. 

2) Spain 2 – 1 Morocco 

Spain’s semifinal match up against Morocco was one of the most highly anticipated games of the tournament. And it lived up to all the pre-match hype. The game had everything; free flowing attacking football, long range screamers, penalty controversy call and a late match winning goal. This match was a great advert for football in general. However, it was Spain who finally came out on top by a scoreline of 2-1. 

The game had a wonderful flow, with both teams displaying excellent attacking football. However, Morocco struck the first blow, as Soufiane Rahimi converted a contentious penalty in the 37th minute. This goal took his tally to six, the most in the tournament. The Atlas Lions held on to their narrow lead going into halftime. Following the break, La Roja asserted their dominance. And in the 65th minute Spanish dominance finally paid off, as Barcelona starlet Fermin Lopez pounced on a loose ball and hammered in a fine finish from the edge of the box. 

Spain continued to probe, but the Moroccan defence stood like a wall. Due to dogged Moroccan defence, the Spanish players had to settle for long range pile drivers. But twenty minutes passed by, and the scores were still tied. The game looked destined for extra time. But then substitute fullback Juanlu Sanchez popped up in the box to score a Spanish winner in the 85th minute. The 20-year-old Sevilla defender drilled an inch perfect shot into the bottom right corner of the Moroccan goal. 

The match ended with the scoreline favoring Spain. They will now face France in the finals on Friday. This will be Spain’s second consecutive finals appearance at the Olympics men’s football tournament. Meanwhile, the Atlas Lions will take on Egypt in an all-African match for the bronze medal on Thursday.