Michael Olise scored and also provided an assist as France came from a goal down to beat Egypt 3-1 after extra-time to reach the men’s final of the Paris Olympics on Monday.... CLICK TO READ THE FULL NEWS HERE▶▶
Jean-Philippe Mateta bagged two goals as France reached a first Olympic men’s football final since Los Angeles 1984.
While Egypt will battle fellow North African side Morocco in the bronze medal match, France will take on Spain in the final.
The last time an African team won a medal in the Olympic men’s football event was Nigeria’s U-23 team, bronze, at the Rio 2016 games.
The match began with both teams showing cautious play. Egypt had a golden opportunity in the second minute when Ibrahim Adel’s volley narrowly missed the post.
Throughout the first half, both sides traded chances, with Egypt’s goalkeeper Hamza Alaa making crucial saves to keep the game scoreless.
France came close in the 41st minute, but the post denied Loïc Badé’s header, before the referee sounded the end of the first half.
The second half saw Egypt take a surprising lead. In the 62nd minute, Mahmoud Saber intercepted the ball in the box and fired into the roof of the net, putting the Young Pharaohs ahead 1-0.
France, however, pressed hard for an equalizer, and Jean-Philippe Mateta found the back of the net in the 83rd minute, thanks to an assist from Olise.
Regulation time ended with the score tied at 1-1, leading to a tense extra time. Early in extra time, Omar Fayed received a red card for a second bookable offense, leaving Egypt to battle with ten men.
France capitalized on this advantage, with Mateta scoring his second goal in the 99th minute, heading home from close range to put France ahead 2-1.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Egypt continued to fight. However, in the 108th minute, Olise sealed the victory for France with a well-placed shot.
