Captain Achraf Hakimi was among the scorers as a dominant Morocco outplayed the USA on Friday, securing a 4-0 victory to reach the semi-finals of the Olympic men’s football tournament.
Supported by a large, enthusiastic crowd at the Parc des Princes, Morocco proved too strong for the USA. Soufiane Rahimi opened the scoring with a penalty, followed by goals from Ilias Akhomach and Hakimi in the second half. Mehdi Maouhoub sealed the win with another penalty.
Having topped their group ahead of Argentina, Morocco is emerging as a serious contender for the gold medal. They will face either Japan or Spain in the semi-final on Monday in Marseille. The final is set for Friday, August 9, at the Parc des Princes.
The Moroccan community in France has turned out in large numbers to support their team, which entered the Olympics after winning the Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations last year. The team is led by one of the world’s best full-backs, Hakimi, and features dynamic wingers Akhomach and Abde Ezzalzouli alongside the prolific Rahimi in attack.
The USA struggled to recover after Rahimi converted a penalty just before the half-hour mark, following a foul by Nathan Harriel. Rahimi, who plays in the United Arab Emirates and is one of Morocco’s three overage players, is the tournament’s top scorer with five goals in four games.
Miles Robinson missed a crucial chance for the Americans just before the hour, and Morocco doubled their lead on 63 minutes. Ezzalzouli showcased impressive skill on the left flank before setting up Akhomach to score at the near post. Hakimi, playing at his Paris Saint-Germain home ground, then made it 3-0 with 20 minutes remaining. Substitute Maouhoub added a fourth goal with a stoppage-time penalty after a VAR review confirmed a handball by Harriel.
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