Friday Preview: Morocco U23 Aims for New Heights, USA U23 Has Rare Losses Against African Teams in Main Draws

On August 2nd at 9 PM, the quarterfinal match of the 2024 Olympic men’s football tournament will take place at Parc des Princes in Paris, with the Morocco U23 team facing off against the USA U23 team.

This match is a historic opportunity for Morocco. They won the African U23 Nations Cup in 2023 and are looking to continue their success at the Olympics. Morocco made its debut at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and has participated eight times over the past 60 years. Their best performance was reaching the quarterfinals during the 1972 Munich Olympics. If they win this match, they will make history. Moroccan football had already made a breakthrough at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and they hope to prove that their football is on the rise.

In terms of form, since their training camp began in June, Morocco has played four matches with two wins, one draw, and one loss (scoring eight goals and conceding five). They have an advantage in fitness, not only because they played their last group stage match a day earlier than the USA, giving them an extra day of rest (which is significant in a congested schedule), but also because they were leading 3-0 by the 36th minute in their match against Iraq, allowing them to rest their key players early.

The USA has more experience at the Olympics, with this being their 15th appearance in the men’s football competition. Since the age restriction was introduced in 1992, their best result was reaching the semifinals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. At these Games, the USA lost 0-3 to France in their opening match but bounced back with victories over New Zealand and Guinea, scoring seven goals in those two matches and securing their place in the knockout rounds. According to American media reports, the US Olympic delegation considers the men’s football team as a medal contender, showing great confidence.

In head-to-head records, according to FIFA, the teams have met three times, with Morocco holding a slight advantage with one win and two draws. Their only competitive meeting was during the 1972 Olympics when they drew 0-0. The most recent encounter was a friendly match in 2023, which Morocco won 1-0. Notably, in the USA’s Olympic history, they have faced African teams six times, losing only once (a 1-2 defeat to Nigeria at the 2008 Beijing Olympics) and drawing or winning the other five matches (against Morocco, Egypt, Guinea, Cameroon, and Tunisia).

In terms of standout players, Morocco’s forward Rachimi leads the Olympic goal-scoring charts with four goals so far. Additionally, PSG star Achraf Hakimi is the team’s highest-valued and inspirational leader. For the USA, the player to watch is 21-year-old winger Paredes, who plays for Wolfsburg and scored twice in his last match, making a significant impact.

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