August 05, (THEWILL) – Spain reached their second consecutive Olympic men’s football final after defeating Morocco 2-1 in a hard-fought match at Marseille Stadium on Monday. The Spanish team overcame an early setback to claim their place in Friday’s final at the Parc des Princes, where they will face either France or Egypt.
Morocco took the lead in the 37th minute when Soufiane Rahimi, the tournament’s top scorer, converted a penalty following a foul by Pablo Barrios. However, Spain rallied in the second half, with Barcelona’s Fermin Lopez equalising in the 66th minute by capitalising on a defensive error. Juanlu Sanchez sealed the victory for Spain with a well-executed goal five minutes from time.
The match was not without incident, as referee Ilgiz Tantashev had to be replaced due to an injury caused by a Spanish player falling on his ankle. Fourth official, Glenn Nyberg, stepped in to oversee the remainder of the game. Despite a late push from Morocco, Spain held on to their lead and will now have the opportunity to improve upon their silver medal performance from the Tokyo Games.
Spanish goalkeeper, Arnau Tenas, acknowledged the challenging nature of the match, praising his team’s ability to bounce back. Meanwhile, goalscorer Fermin Lopez expressed his hope to continue finding the net in future games, emphasising the importance of the team’s collective effort in securing the win.
Morocco, who were supported by a vocal contingent of fans, will now compete for the bronze medal in Nantes on Thursday. The North African side came close to equalising in stoppage time but were ultimately unable to force extra time.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
