Javier Mascherano slams 'circus' after Argentina's loss to Morocco descends into chaos

Morocco claim 2-1 win in Paris Olympics men's football opener but not before a two-hour delay caused by crowd trouble and a controversial VAR decision

Soufiane Rahimi celebrates with teammates after scoring Morocco's first goal their 2-1 win over Argentina in the Paris Olympics football tournament at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Etienne on July 24, 2024. AFP

Morocco players and staff celebrate after the match. Getty Images

The match was played out in front of an empty stadium following crowd trouble. AFP

Morocco players warm-up before the match is restarted four hours after it kicked-off. Reuters

Argentina players during the warm-up before the match is restarted following crowd trouble. Reuters

Referee Glenn Nyberg after Argentina's goal is disallowed following a VAR check. Getty Images

Cristian Medina heads home Argentina's last-gasp leveller that was eventually disallowed for offside. Getty Images

Cristian Medina celebrates with his Argentina teammates after making it 2-2 16 minutes into added time. The goal was eventually disallowed by VAR for offside. Getty Images

Stewards drag Morocco fans off the pitch. AP

Staff remove bottles from the pitch which had been thrown from the stands. Getty Images

A steward drags down a pitch invader. AP

Soufiane Rahimi scores his first goal for Morocco against Argentina. Getty Images

Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg books Argentina's Ezequiel Fernandez. AFP

Soufiane Rahimi celebrates scoring for Morocco. Getty Images

Giuliano Simeone celebrates after pulling a goal back for Argentina. Getty Images

Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi under pressure from Argentina's Julian Alvarez. AFP

Soufiane Rahimi and his Morocco teammates after scoring their first goal. Getty Images

Argentina's coach Javier Mascherano gestures prior to the men's Group B soccer match between Argentina and Morocco at Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Saint-Etienne, France. (AP Photo / Silvia Izquierdo)

Morocco's Soufiane Rahimi celebrates with teammates after scoring his second goal. AFP

Cristian Medina celebrates scoring Argentina's second goal. Getty Images

Argentina manager Javier Mascherano was left furious at the end of his team's chaotic 2-1 defeat to Morocco in the opening match of the Paris Olympics men's football tournament, describing the scenes as a "circus".

Soufiane Rahimi, the Al Ain forward who starred in the UAE club's Asian Champions League triumph, had scored twice for Morocco, once in first-half injury time and early in the second half from the penalty spot to give the North African side a 2-0 lead.

After Giuliano Simeone halved the deficit midway through the second half, two-time gold medallists Argentina thought they had salvaged a remarkable 2-2 draw in the Group B match in Saint-Etienne when Cristian Medina scored in the 16th minute of added time.

But crowd trouble ensued and the players were taken off the pitch before Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg had blown for full time.

For some time the outcome of the match was unclear, with the official IOC website indicating it had ended. But the teams finally reappeared two hours later to play out three more minutes in a stadium by now emptied of spectators.

Medina's goal was also eventually disallowed for offside following a VAR review, and Morocco held on to claim all three points.

"I have not been a coach for long, but never in my career as a player have I seen a situation like that," said Mascherano, who was in the Argentina teams that won the gold medal in 2004 and 2008.

"It is a circus. But that is how it is. We cannot control it. I told the boys that now we need to look forward, try to get the six points that will allow us to qualify and that all this should fill us with energy and anger for what we have ahead of us."

Mascherano said the captains of the two teams had agreed not to restart the game after Medina put the ball in the net, as projectiles including plastic cups and bottles rained down and spectators invaded the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard pitch.

"The captains decided not to play on at that point, and as time went on different versions (of events) started to appear," he said.

"The annoying thing is that the match was suspended. If you are going to review something, review it just after the incident," he said of Medina's disallowed goal, which appeared to be the equaliser after Giuliano Simeone had earlier pulled one back.

"At no point were we told the goal was not valid."

Of the decision to bring the players back out later on to complete the match, he added: "They called Fifa. I don't know who took it, but everyone was involved.

"It is a disgrace that this should happen and poison the tournament. This wouldn't even happen in a neighbourhood tournament. It's pathetic.

"Beyond the Olympic spirit, the organisation needs to be up to standard and at the moment, unfortunately, it is not."

Argentina are due to play their second match on Saturday in Lyon against Iraq, with Morocco playing Ukraine in Saint-Etienne the same day.

Iraq joined Morocco on three points after beating Ukraine 2-1.