Spain and France End the ‘Arab Dream’ by Eliminating Morocco and Egypt

Spain, the runner-up, and host France ended the impressive runs of Morocco and Egypt in the quarter-finals with 2-1 and 3-1 (after extra time) victories, respectively, on Monday evening. This secured their spots in the final match of the football competition at the Summer Olympics – Paris 2024.

The African champions and runners-up bowed out with their heads held high after initially leading in their semi-final matches. However, the tides turned against them, with Egypt showing notable resilience by forcing extra time against the hosts and playing the additional periods with ten men.

Morocco will face Egypt on Thursday in Nantes in a thrilling clash for their first Olympic football medal. This match serves as a chance for the Pharaohs to avenge their loss to the Atlas Lions in the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco last year.

On the other hand, France will meet Spain on Friday at the Parc des Princes Stadium in the final. Both teams are competing for their second title in history, with the Roosters having won in Los Angeles in 1984 and La Roja securing victory at home in Barcelona in 1992.

French national team coach Thierry Henry expressed immense joy in reaching the final and boosting the country’s chances of winning another gold medal, as part of their quest to stand among the greats of this Olympics.

Henry stated in a press conference: “It was a crazy night. We want to win gold, but the task will be difficult against Spain.”

He noted, “The Egyptian team relied on counterattacks, and we could have managed the situation better, but we succeeded. It was an exceptional evening, and I can hardly believe what happened.”

Henry emphasized, “We must do something exceptional against Spain, who excel in final matches, but I am enjoying this moment. Tonight was wonderful.”

He continued, “We created many opportunities, while the Egyptian team reached our goal three times, scoring a goal with a brilliant shot. However, we maintained our attack and capitalized on our players’ speed on the flanks.”

The former French national team star, who won the World Cup in 1998 and the European Cup in 2000, added, “I am particularly happy for Jean Mateta, who faced doubts when he was selected initially, as well as about his performance in the first two matches.” Referring to the Crystal Palace striker, Mateta scored two goals in the match, showcasing more brilliance alongside his former teammate Michael Olise, who recently moved to Bayern Munich and also scored a goal, in addition to providing an assist.

The Roosters coach concluded: “We are not crazy, Mateta scored twice in the semi-finals and became the team’s top scorer.”