Egypt’s aspirations of securing a gold or silver medal in the Men’s Football Tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympics were dashed following a 3-1 extra-time defeat to France on Monday night. The semi-final loss at the Stade de Lyon means that the Young Pharaohs will now have to contend with a third-place playoff against Morocco, with the bronze medal still within reach.
France, buoyed by their home support, will advance to face Spain in the final on Friday, after Spain narrowly edged out Morocco 2-1 in the other semi-final held earlier in Marseille.
The first half of the match was a tense affair, with both sides creating scoring opportunities but failing to convert them.
The goalless deadlock at halftime reflected a contest where defenses were on top, and neither team was willing to give an inch.
The breakthrough came in the 62nd minute when Egypt’s Mahmoud Saber found the back of the net, sending shockwaves through the Stade de Lyon and momentarily silencing the French supporters.
Saber’s strike put Egypt ahead and within touching distance of the final, as the Young Pharaohs dared to dream of an Olympic gold.
However, the hosts were not to be denied. With just seven minutes of normal time remaining, Jean-Philippe Mateta stepped up to score the equalizer for France, ensuring the match would be extended into extra time.
Mateta’s goal shifted the momentum in favor of Les Bleus, who began to assert their dominance as the match wore on.
In extra time, France took control. Mateta struck again in the 99th minute, completing his brace and putting France in the lead for the first time in the match.
Egypt, who had fought valiantly up to that point, struggled to respond as fatigue set in.
The final blow came in the 108th minute when Michael Olise added a third goal for France, effectively sealing the victory and ending Egypt’s hopes of an Olympic final.
The Young Pharaohs, despite their best efforts, were unable to find a way back into the match, and their dream of gold slipped away.
Egypt will now turn their focus to Thursday’s bronze medal match against Morocco, a clash that promises to be fiercely contested given the regional rivalry between the two North African nations.
Meanwhile, France will look ahead to Friday’s final, where they will seek to claim the Olympic gold in front of their home crowd.
As the dust settles on a dramatic and hard-fought semi-final, Egypt can take pride in their journey to the last four, even as they grapple with the disappointment of falling short of the ultimate prize.
The Young Pharaohs still have a chance to make history with a bronze medal, but they will need to regroup quickly to overcome a resilient Moroccan side.
