Hosts France ended Egypt’s remarkable run in the semi-finals when they beat them 3-1 after extra time to reach the final of the Paris 2024 Olympic football tournament.
The African champions and runners-up, Egypt and Morocco, came out with their heads held high after they had the upper hand in the semi-finals, before the tables were turned on them, although Egypt was more resilient as it forced extra time on the home team and played the two extra halves with ten players, as a result of individual errors and an expulsion due to an unnecessary protest by the Egyptian player Omar Fayed.
Egypt took the lead through Pyramids midfielder Mahmoud Saber in the 62nd minute, but Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta responded with two goals in the 83rd and 99th minutes, raising his tally to 4 goals in the competition, before his former teammate in the London team and recent transfer to Bayern Munich, Michael Oliseh, sealed the third goal (108).
France waited until the first extra time to tip the balance in their favour, taking advantage of the numerical shortage in the Pharaohs’ ranks after Fenerbahce defender Omar Fayed was sent off early in the second half after receiving a second yellow card (92).
Egypt succeeded in opening the scoring through Saber with a powerful shot from close range (62), which was the first goal scored by France in the competition.
Mateta almost equalised with a header from close range, but goalkeeper Alaa brilliantly pushed it away to a corner (64). The right post prevented Lacazette from equalising by blocking his header from close range, but Badie followed it up and it bounced off the crossbar and out of the field (75).
The French pressure paid off with a goal when Oliseh passed a through ball behind the defence to Mateta, who followed it with his right foot from inside the area to the right of the goalkeeper (83). Mateta gave France the lead with a header from close range.
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