The PARIS 2024 men’s Olympic football opener ended in total disaster, after what appeared to be the most controversial VAR decision in football, according to The Sun.
Argentina lost their opening game in the trouble-filled encounter against Morocco. The South American nation had thought they secured a hard-earned draw after a stoppage-time equalizer, but VAR ruled out the goal nearly 2hrs after it was scored.
PARIS 2024 Olympic: VAR pandemonium in opening game
Cristian Medina nodded in from close range, following an incredible sequence of rebounds in which attempts from Bruno Amione and Nicolas Otamendi hit the cross-bar.
That appeared to cap off a stunning comeback from a two-goal deficit for former Liverpool player Javier Mascherano’s team, which sparked chaos from the Moroccan supporters at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
Bottles and firecrackers were thrown onto the field by enraged North African team supporters, who were already furious at the game’s that went decisions that went against them and the prolonged injury time.
Some, however, leaping over the fences to get on the playing field, which scared the Argentine players.
Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg had told both sets of players to retreat to their dressing rooms, with the game presumed finished, despite three minutes left to be played.
Both teams first refused to return to the field and were backed by FIFA, despite Nyberg being informed by the Paris-based VAR booth that Amione had been slightly offside.
The goal was. however, cancelled after almost two hours of deliberation as both teams resumed play, with the scoreline ending 2-1 in favour of Morocco.
This incident comes just days after Sports Buddy reported about an VAR incident in Venezuela, labeled the worse VAR offside line in history.
