Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Ben McKay

France, Spain set up Olympic football gold medal match

European heavyweights France and Spain will meet in the final of the Olympic men's football after both came from behind to win their semis.

Jean-Philippe Mateta fired a double, including an 83rd-minute equaliser which forced extra-time as the hosts overcame a spirited Egypt 3-1 in Lyon.

After Mahmoud Saber's opener for Egypt, Thierry Henry's side hit the woodwork three times and missed a spate of other chances before Mateta finally drew them level.

Mateta and Michael Olise, until recently team-mates at English club Crystal Palace, scored in extra-time after Egypt defender Omar Fayed was sent off.

"It's not easy, right? We knew that," said France's coach Thierry Henry. "But at the end of the day, we kept on coming. We kept on trying. We kept on creating from the wing and trying to play and we got our reward."

Spain, winners of the European Championships last month, could back up that success after their 2-1 defeat of Morocco.

Fermin Lopez, part of Spain's winning Euro squad, equalised in the 65th minute after Soufiane Rahimi scored a late first-half penalty for the Africans.

The Barcelona midfielder then assisted substitute Juanlu Sanchez for an 85th-minute winner, putting Spain in a record-equalling fifth Olympic men's football final.

"My goal changed a bit the match, and I think it was a great match for the whole team and we deserved it," Lopez said. "And here we are."

The Olympics is played as an under-23 tournament with three over-age players, including Mateta.

In the final, both France and Spain, who lost the gold-medal match in Tokyo, will hope to win a second men's football gold.

Morocco - backing up their fourth-place from the last FIFA World Cup - will battle for bronze, which would be a first Olympic football medal for either nation.

The competition has been dominated by Latin American sides in recent years, won by Brazil, Argentina (both twice) and Mexico at the last five editions.

Spain - also the FIFA Women's World Cup holders - could win both the men's and women's gold, a feat no nation has achieved since the first women's Olympic tournament in 1996.

The women's semi-finals take place on Tuesday (local), with Spain and Brazil meeting in Marseille and the USA and Germany clashing in Lyon.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.