LIVE INFO
MATCH PREVIEW & MORE INFO
Argentina possible starting lineup: Rulli; Lujan, Di Cesare, Otamendi, Amione; Almada, Hezze, Medina; Zenon, Alvarez, Simeone
Match Preview
Morocco possible starting lineup: Mohamedi; Hakimi, El Wafi, Boukamir, Nakach; Targhalline, Bouchouari, Richardson; Akhomach, Rahimi, Ezzalzouli
Match Preview
The Men's Olympic Football Tournament at the Paris 2024 Games is set to begin with an exciting matchup between Argentina and Morocco in Group B at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne.
Argentina aims to follow the footsteps of their senior team, which has enjoyed success with a World Cup and two Copa America titles in recent years. This will be Argentina's 10th appearance at the Olympics, and they are hoping to improve on their performance at Tokyo 2020, where they did not advance past the group stage. Under the guidance of Javier Mascherano, a former Liverpool and Barcelona midfielder and a gold medalist from Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, Argentina is considered one of the favorites in the tournament.
Argentina has shown promising form in their preparation for the Games, securing a 5-0 victory over Petrus Flo but suffering a surprising 1-0 defeat to Guinea in their final warm-up match. South American teams have historically performed well in the Men's Olympic Football Tournament, with Argentina and Brazil winning four of the last five gold medals. With Brazil not qualifying for Paris 2024, Argentina and Paraguay will represent South America.
Morocco will be participating in their eighth Men's Football Tournament at the Olympics, their first since London 2012. They secured their spot in Paris by winning the 2023 Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations. However, the team experienced a coaching change in March when Issame Charai was replaced by Tarik Sektioui. Morocco is currently ranked as the fourth favorite to win gold and aims to progress beyond the group stage for the first time since the 1972 Olympics.
Under Sektioui, Morocco has played three friendlies, achieving a 2-2 draw with Belgium, a 2-0 victory over Wales, and a 1-0 loss to Ukraine. They are determined to secure at least a top-two finish in Group B and advance in the tournament.
This opening match promises to be a compelling contest between two ambitious teams looking to make their mark at the Paris 2024 Olympics.