Advertisement

Morocco topples Egypt 6-0 to win Olympic men’s soccer bronze medal

safid deen, usa today
·6-min read

Morocco’s rise as a formidable power in men’s soccer continued Tuesday with its first Olympic medal, awarded following an emphatic 6-0 victory against Egypt on Thursday to win bronze at the Paris Olympics.

Soufaine Rahimi scored two goals (26’ and 64’) and became the first player in Olympic history to score in six straight matches.

Rahimi won’t win a Golden Boot at the Olympics, but his eight goals are more than any other player in Paris before France and Spain meet in the gold medal match Friday.

Abde Ezzalzouli (23’), Bilal El Khannouss (51’), Akram Nakach (73’) and Achraf Hakimi (87’) also scored for Morocco in the decisive win.

Morocco has certainly put the soccer world on notice, scoring 17 goals in Paris, ahead of the next World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026.

Morocco lost 2-1 to Spain in the Olympic semifinals, beat the United States 3-0 in the quarterfinals. Morocco won Group B after a 2-1 win against Argentina, a 2-1 loss to Ukraine, and a 3-0 win against Iraq.

Morocco’s third-place finish at the Paris Olympics is a landmark achievement, and another step in the right direction after finishing fourth behind Argentina, France and Croatia at the Qatar World Cup in 2022.

➤ Get Olympics updates in your texts! Join USA TODAY Sports' WhatsApp Channel

Adel Ibrahim of Team Egypt warms up prior to the men's bronze medal match between Egypt and Morocco.
Adel Ibrahim of Team Egypt warms up prior to the men's bronze medal match between Egypt and Morocco.

Follow along here for a review of men’s soccer bronze medal game at the Paris Olympics:

Achraf Hakimi goal: Morocco takes 6-0 lead vs. Egypt

Achraf Hakimi’s free-kick goal in the 87th minute is the icing on the cake of Morocco’s bronze medal.

Akram Nakach goal: Morocco leads 5-0 vs. Egypt

Morocco added another goal to its commanding lead with Akram Nakach’s score in the 73rd minute.

Soufaine Rahimi goal: Morocco leads 4-0 vs. Egypt

Soufaine Rahimi has scored again, his eighth of the Paris Games, to help Morocco take a 4-0 lead against Egypt in the bronze medal match.

Rahimi scored a right boot in the 64th minute, and the celebration can begin if it hasn’t started already for Morocco.

Bilal El Khannouss goal: Morocco takes commanding 3-0 lead vs. Egypt

Bilal El Khannouss dribbled through several defenders, and his right foot delivered a 3-0 lead for Morocco in the 51st minute.

Morocco is on its way to a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.

Halftime: Morocco leads 2-0 in men’s soccer bronze medal game vs. Egypt

Morocco shot out the gate with goals by Abde Ezzalzouli (23’) and Soufaine Rahimi (26’) to take a 2-0 lead against Egypt for the bronze medal in men’s soccer.

Rahimi, the favorite to win the Golden Boot for goals scored, scored in his sixth straight match at the Paris Games with his seventh goal.

Both Morocco and Egypt are vying for their first men’s soccer Olympic medal in the all-African matchup.

Soufaine Rahimi goal: Morocco doubles its lead vs. Egypt 2-0

Morocco’s Soufaine Rahimi made Olympic history, scoring a goal in his sixth straight match in Paris, with a header inside the box in the 26th minute to take a 2-0 lead against Egypt.

Just three minutes after taking the lead, Morocco doubled its lead in a hurry.

Abde Ezzalzouli goal: Morocco takes 1-0 lead vs. Egypt in bronze medal game

Morocco’s Abde Ezzalzouli hit a beautiful strike with his right boot in the 23rd minute to take a 1-0 lead against Egypt in the Olympic bronze medal match.

Egypt vs. Morocco starting lineups

Here are the starting lineups for Egypt and Morocco in the bronze medal game:

When is the Paris Olympics men’s soccer gold medal game?

The gold medal game between France and Spain is Friday at 12 p.m. ET.

TV, streaming: USA Network (Fubo), Telemundo, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com

How did Morocco reach Paris Olympics men’s soccer bronze medal game?

Morocco lost 2-1 to Spain in the semifinals, beat the United States 3-0 in the quarterfinals, and won Group B after a 2-1 win against Argentina, a 2-1 loss to Ukraine, and a 3-0 win against Iraq.

How did Egypt reach Paris Olympics men’s soccer bronze medal game?

Egypt lost 3-1 to France in the semifinals, advanced past Paraguay 1-1 (5-4 in penalties) in the quarterfinals, and won Group C after a scoreless draw against the Dominican Republic, 1-0 win vs. Uzbekistan and a 2-1 win against Spain.

How did USMNT perform at the Paris Olympics?

The United States Olympic men's soccer team was ousted after a 4-0 loss to Morocco in the quarterfinals. It was USA Soccer's first Olympics appearance since 2008, and the first time they reached the knockout stage since 2000.

When does USA women's soccer national team play in the Paris Olympics?

The USWNT is still alive in the Paris Olympics, and will play Brazil in the gold medal game on Saturday at 11 a.m. ET.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Morocco wins Olympic men’s soccer bronze vs. Egypt: Score, highlights