Spain and Morocco have secured their places in the semi-finals of the Olympic football tournament following impressive victories over Japan and the United States respectively.
Spain, fresh from their triumph at the Euro 2024 tournament, comfortably dispatched Japan 3-0 in Lyon. Fermin Lopez, a Barcelona midfielder, was the star of the show, scoring a brace. The young talent opened the scoring early with a powerful left-footed drive and added his second after the break with a dipping shot from distance.
Japan, who had earlier hit the post, thought they had equalised late in the first half but a lengthy VAR review ruled the effort offside. Abel Ruiz completed the scoring with a late tap-in to seal victory for the European side, who will face Morocco in Marseille on Monday evening.
Meanwhile, Morocco showcased their dominance in a resounding 4-0 win over the United States at the Parc des Princes. The Atlas Lions, competing in their first Olympic football tournament, dominated from start to finish, delivering a performance worthy of their historic achievement.
Soufiane Rahimi, leading the line with his fifth goal of the tournament, converted a penalty just before the half-hour mark to put Morocco in the driving seat. Ilias Akhomach doubled the advantage with a close-range finish, followed by a spectacular left-foot effort from captain Achraf Hakimi.
Substitute Mehdi Maouhoub added insult to injury for the USA, scoring a penalty in stoppage time after a handball was awarded following a VAR review. Hakimi, who plays for Paris St-Germain in France, highlighted the importance of their passionate fans: âI felt like I was playing at home in this stadium where I play for my club, but also because our fans were very loud and were here in big numbers. Fans have been following us all tournament, I hope they can follow us all the way to the final. We want to make them proud.â
With Spain and Morocco both securing convincing victories, the semi-finals of the Olympic football tournament promise to be exciting clashes.
