Games organisers investigating pitch invasion chaos

PARIS: Paris Olympics organisers are looking into what led to a pitch invasion during the opening match of the Olympic soccer tournament between Argentina and Morocco, they said on Thursday (Jul 25).

Argentina lost 2-1 following a VAR review after play was suspended with the scores level at 2-2 but the final result was only confirmed two hours later when the game was restarted.

"The football match between Argentina and Morocco at the Saint-Etienne Stadium was suspended due to a pitch invasion by a small number of spectators," Games organisers said.

"The match then restarted and was able to conclude safely. Paris 2024 is working with the relevant stakeholders to understand the causes and identify appropriate actions."

Argentina's Cristian Medina scored deep in stoppage time to salvage what looked like a 2-2 draw, but the decision ruling out the goal for offside following a VAR review was delivered about two hours after play was suspended.

Once order was restored and the teams had left the field following the invasion in which security staff chased several fans around the pitch, it became clear the match had not been completed but suspended.

The teams re-emerged to finish the match in an empty stadium, playing for three minutes and 15 seconds after VAR completed its review and disallowed the goal, in a turbulent start to the competition.