Argentina coach Mascherano rages at Olympics football 'disgrace' after Morocco loss

He described the situation as a "disgrace" and "a circus." The match, which saw Argentina's Cristian Medina scoring a goal in the 16th minute of added time, was marred by crowd trouble, leading to the players being taken off the pitch before the full-time whistle.

The outcome of the match was initially unclear, and the players eventually reappeared two hours later to play out three more minutes in an empty stadium.

Medina's goal was later disallowed for offside after a VAR review, and Morocco secured a 2-1 victory.

Mascherano, a two-time gold medalist with Argentina, expressed his disbelief at the situation, stating that he had never seen anything like it in his career as a player.

He urged his team to look forward, channeling the energy and anger from the events into their upcoming matches.

Mascherano mentioned that the team captains mutually agreed to halt the game after Medina scored, due to the chaos caused by objects being thrown onto the field and fans storming the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard pitch.

He expressed his frustration over the suspension of the match, emphasizing the need for immediate review of controversial incidents like Medina's disallowed goal.

Mascherano also criticized the decision to resume the game later, involving FIFA and various parties, calling the situation a disgrace that tarnishes the tournament.

Looking ahead, Argentina is set to face Iraq in Lyon, while Morocco will play against Ukraine in Saint-Etienne on Saturday.