In a thrilling semi-final match at the Groupama Stadium in Lyon, France emerged victorious over Egypt with a 3-1 score, securing their place in the gold medal final at the soccer Olympic men's soccer gold medal final. The stadium, packed with enthusiastic spectators, witnessed an intense encounter in which both teams showed remarkable determination.
Egypt Scores First, France Answers
The match showed goals until the second half, with Egypt taking the lead in the 62nd minute. Mahmoud Saber, the tournament's top scorer, showed his skill by tapping in a rebound and sending a second attempt into the back of the net past the French goalkeeper.
This goal, which was a testament to Saber's finishing skills, put Egypt ahead 1-0 and set the stage for a dramatic showdown.France, undeterred by the setback, pushed forward with increasing urgency. Their relentless efforts paid off in the 83rd minute when Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the equalizer.
Mateta, who was expertly set up by Michael Olise, managed to break through the Egyptian defense and level the score at 1-1. The French team's persistence continued to grow as they looked to take the lead.
As the match progressed into extra time, France faced a crucial moment when a possible penalty was reviewed for a handball incident.
Despite initial indications of contact, the VAR review led to the referee overruling the decision, deeming the incident a push rather than a handball. This decision allowed the match to continue into extra time.
In extra time, Egypt's Omar Fayed faced a crucial turning point when he received a yellow card for contempt. His situation worsened after he fouled Desire Doue, which led to a second yellow card and, subsequently, a red card.
This left Egypt with only ten men, significantly impacting their ability to compete against the determined French team.
France took advantage of its numerical advantage in the 99th minute when Mateta scored his second goal of the match. His powerful header from close range gave France a 2-1 lead.
Third Goal Seals Egypt's Fate
The French team's dominance was further consolidated three minutes later, in the second half of extra time, when Michael Olise scored a third goal, securing France's advancement to the final with a 3-1 victory.
Key players for France included Jean-Philippe Mateta, whose two goals played a crucial role in the victory, and Michael Olise, who contributed an assist and a goal. Mahmoud Saber was the standout for Egypt, maintaining his position as the tournament's top scorer with his opening goal.
Significant moments of the match included the emotional celebration by Thierry Henry, who struck an iconic pose reminiscent of Eric Cantona. This celebration underlined the high relevance and importance of the victory for the French team.
France's persistence was also evident as they hit the crossbar three times during the match, highlighting their attacking prowess despite strong resistance from Egypt.
After the match, Thierry Henry expressed his gratitude to the players and fans, acknowledging the tough challenge posed by Egypt and the importance of reaching the final after 40 years. He emphasized the importance of the upcoming final against Spain.
✅️ OFFICIAL: The Paris 2024 men's soccer final is set.
🥇 Final - August 9.
🇪🇸 Spain vs. France 🇫🇷🥉 Bronze - August 8.
🇲🇦 Morocco vs. Egypt 🇪🇬 pic.twitter.com/ZSQvTMhZ9P- Samuel Vargas (@SVargasOK) August 5, 2024
In Search of Gold
Jean-Philippe Mateta described the match as a dream come true and dedicated the victory to the fans, who supported the team throughout the challenges.
France will face Spain in the gold medal match scheduled for Friday at the Parc des Princes. This clash represents a significant opportunity for France to secure its first Olympic gold medal in soccer since 1984.
Egypt will compete against Morocco in the bronze medal match on Thursday in Nantes, seeking to win its first Olympic medal in soccer.
France's advancement to the Olympic final marks a historic achievement, their first appearance in the final since the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. As they seek their first Olympic gold medal in soccer in 40 years, the upcoming final against Spain is shaping up to be a momentous occasion in French sporting history.
Meanwhile, Egypt is aiming to secure its first olympic medal in soccer after multiple semifinal appearances in previous tournaments.
