The Olympics got off to a fiery start on Wednesday, as the very first event saw crowd trouble in Saint-Étienne.
Though Paris is the official host city of the tournament, many of the football games will be spread across stadiums up and down the country. The first day of competition on Wednesday saw Argentina take on Morocco in the first game of the men's football tournament.
Both countries had memorable performances in the 2022 World Cup but the teams on show on Wednesday were mostly unfamiliar. Olympic football regulations see the men's tournament played out between U23 teams - though three overage players are allowed on each squad.
Nonetheless, it was a surprise to see Morocco go 2-0 up in Saint-Étienne, and they looked set to claim yet another major shock on the world stage before a late comeback from Argentina saw trouble spill over from the stands.
READ HERE: Ireland Sevens: Everything To Know About Both Teams At The Olympics
READ HERE: Irish Olympian Attempts To Dispel Myth About Athlete Beds At Olympic Village
Argentina snatch controversial late equaliser v Morocco
It looked as though Morocco were on course for victory after a quickfire double for Soufiane Rahimi either side of half-time.
Giuliano Simeone would give Argentina hope with just over 20 minutes to go, before one of the most chaotic finishes in recent memory.
An astonishing 15 minutes of added time were signalled for by the referee and, as the clock ticked past 90+15', Argentina tried one last roll of the dice.
In a pinball-esque sequence, the Argentines were repeatedly denied by a combination of saves and the woodwork, before Cristian Medina finally nodded home an equaliser from close range.
Manic finish to Argentina v Morocco as the South Americans equalise in 106th minute, with Moroccan fans and players furious at the amount of added time played #rtesport #paris2024 pic.twitter.com/Imm3M5HBmO
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 24, 2024
The amount of stoppage time added on was contentious, with many fans on social media taking issue with the time afforded.
However, the game had to be halted on several occasions due to pitch invaders, and unsavoury scenes were soon to play out.
Projectiles including cans and bottles were thrown from the stands as the Argentinean players celebrated their dramatic equaliser.
Argentina players were then targeted by noise bombs thrown onto the pitch from the stands at the full-time whistle, while Marca reported that Morocco fans stormed the field in anger at the conclusion of the game.
🚨 SHAMEFUL INCIDENTS MARRED THE DEBUT OF SOCCER AT THE OLYMPICS.
After Argentina's agonizing draw against Morocco, fans threw noise bombs at the Argentine players, and Moroccan fans stormed the field at the end of the match ❌#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/pevHqy8Sss— MARCA in English 🇺🇸 (@MARCAinENGLISH) July 24, 2024
Though cameras would cut away quickly as the trouble played out, some footage was shared on social media shortly after the game's conclusion.
Tiraron petardos al lado del banco de suplentes de Argentina y por eso el plantel se metió al vestuario. pic.twitter.com/hRtP7UsuXH
— Gastón Edul (@gastonedul) July 24, 2024
Fans would soon share footage from the stands, with some claiming that as many as 800 fans were on the pitch - though these reports seem erroneous when compared to those currently available from reputable news organisations, or with the official video stream of the game.
Cualquier cosa esto. Les tiraban botellas a los jugadores de Argentina y se metieron 800 marroquíes a la cancha pic.twitter.com/O7ZlJxkuKh
— Celina (@CeliUnzue) July 24, 2024
Nonetheless, this was quite the fiery start to an Olympics during which there will be heavy scrutiny on security processes.
Bizarrely, the story did not end there. In an unprecedented move, the goal would then be rule out for offside, more than an hour after the final whistle.
The longest VAR delay in history?
Cristian Medina's late equaliser for Argentina v Morocco at #Paris2024 has now been ruled out due to offside! ❌
The game was suspended more than an hour ago.#BBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/jp5KF94UN2— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 24, 2024
Despite this being the first day of the games, you will do well to find a more controversial incident than this over the course of the Olympics.
SEE ALSO: Watching The 2024 Olympics In Ireland: How To See Every Second Of The Action
