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Rabat – Days after a contentious loss to Morocco, Argentina is set to seek redemption in a Group B match against Iraq at Groupama Stadium in Lyon on Saturday at 2 p.m. local time.
Moroccan channel Arryadia, along with BeIN Sports, and Eurosport, will broadcast the match.
The South American giants, who entered the Paris 2024 Olympics as one of the favorites for gold, now find themselves on the brink of elimination from the tournament.
Argentina’s previous match against Morocco was marred by controversy. With the scoreline at 2-1 against them, Argentina seemed to have salvaged a draw when Cristian Medina scored in the 16 minute of second-half stoppage time.
The match was suspended for over an hour before a VAR review revealed that the goal had been disallowed. The game then resumed for a couple more minutes, with Morocco maintaining its win. The 2-1 defeat has left Argentina with a narrow path to advancement.
Javier Mascherano, head coach of Argentina, has been vocal about his frustrations surrounding the Morocco match, calling it a “circus.”
With the specter of elimination looming large, Mascherano must rally his players to overcome the setback and refocus their efforts.
Argentina’s historical performance in Olympic men’s football has been mixed. They clinched gold in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 but failed to qualify for London 2012 and faced early exits in both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
This pattern of underachievement at the Olympics only adds pressure on Mascherano to break the cycle and lead his team beyond the group stage.
Meanwhile, Iraq enters the match with an advantage. Their last encounter saw them secure a 2-1 victory over Ukraine, with Aymen Hussein and Ali Jasim Elaibi turning the game around after initially trailing.
The win put Iraq in a strong position, as a victory or a draw against Argentina would almost certainly guarantee their place in the quarterfinals.
Iraq has not advanced beyond the group stage since its bronze medal run in 2004, making this tournament a crucial opportunity for the Lions of Babylon to prove their skills internationally.
For Argentina, this match is a must-win. Failure to secure three points against Iraq would almost certainly spell the end of their Olympic journey.
With the stakes so high, Argentina’s supporters will be hoping their team can put their earlier misfortunes behind them and deliver a performance worthy of their storied footballing history.
