Paris 2024 Olympics: Mateta double takes France to final; Spain overcomes Morocco test

Spain reached its second successive Olympic men’s football final when it beat Morocco 2-1 thanks to second-half goals from Fermin Lopez and Juanlu Sanchez.

Jean-Philippe Mateta of Team France reacts during the Men’s semifinal match between France and Egypt during the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de Lyon. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Host France beat an inspired Egypt with two goals in stoppage time at the Lyon Stadium on Monday, to seal passage through to the final of the Paris 2024 Olympics football event.

Jean-Phillipe Mateta was the trump card for France again, scoring a brace to take his overall tally of goals in the competition to four. Michael Olise applied the finishing touch in the 108th minute with a left-footed finish into the bottom left-hand corner.

Thierry Henry’s men fell behind in the 62nd minute to a strike from Mahmoud Saber, putting a spanner in the works of the host nation’s quest to win an Olympic gold at home.

But the two goals from Mateta, either side of the 90-minute mark and the dismissal of Omar Fayed put Les Blues on the front foot, from where they went on to seal the result.

Spain reaches second straight Olympic final with 2-1 win over Morocco

Spain reached its second successive Olympic men’s football final when it beat Morocco 2-1 thanks to second-half goals from Fermin Lopez and Juanlu Sanchez at Stade de Marseille on Monday.

Spain fought back after Morocco went ahead to earn the chance to improve on its silver medal at the Tokyo Games when it meets either France or Egypt in Friday’s final at the Parc des Princes.

Morocco opened the scoring in the 37th minute when the tournament’s top scorer Soufiane Rahimi converted a penalty for his sixth Olympic goal following a Pablo Barrios foul.

Spain’s Fermin Lopez celebrates is side’s first goal during a men’s semifinal match between Morocco and Spain at the 2024 Summer Olympics. | Photo Credit: Daniel Cole/ AP

The 28-year-old Al Ain striker has netted for Morocco in every match at the Games.

Spain were more dangerous after the break and equalised in the 66th minute when Barcelona’s Lopez pounced on some sloppy defending by Morocco to steal the ball in the box and strike home.

Substitute Sanchez earned the Spaniards the lead five minutes from time after a fine team move from the right and a low shot from a tight angle.

Morocco came close to levelling in stoppage time but were denied and will play for the bronze medal in Nantes on Thursday.

- With inputs from Reuters