Jean-Philippe Mateta scored twice as France advanced to the final of the men’s soccer tournament at the Paris Olympics with a 3-1 victory over Egypt after extra time on Monday.
France will play Spain in the final on Friday at Parc des Princes, aiming to secure the first European gold medal in the men’s tournament in 32 years.
The host nation overcame an early deficit at Stade de Lyon, where Egypt led with a goal from Mahmoud Saber in the 62nd minute, putting France in a challenging position. Despite hitting the goalpost three times, France equalized in the 83rd minute when Mateta found the net, sending the match into extra time.
Mateta scored again in the 99th minute following Egypt’s Omar Fayed receiving a second yellow card, which left his team with ten men. Michael Olise sealed the win for France with a goal in the 108th minute.
This final marks the first opportunity for a European team to win gold since Spain’s triumph at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, breaking the dominance of Latin American teams that have won the last five tournaments—two each for Brazil and Argentina, and one for Mexico.
For France coach Thierry Henry, this presents a chance to add to his decorated playing career, which includes a World Cup and European Championship victory with France. This would be his first major honor as a coach, still early in his career.
France’s only previous Olympic gold came at the Los Angeles 1984 Games, and they also secured silver during the 1900 Games held in Paris.
France entered the semifinals as one of the pre-tournament favorites, boasting a perfect record with maximum points in the group stage and a victory over Argentina in the quarterfinals. Egypt had also demonstrated their ability to cause upsets by defeating Spain in the group stage, and they almost pulled off another surprise against France.
Saber’s goal sparked a strong reaction from the French supporters, who rallied behind their team. Egypt’s goalkeeper Alaa Hamza made a crucial save against Alexandre Lacazette from close range, while France hit the goalpost twice more within seconds when Lacazette and Loic Bade both came close to scoring.
The equalizer came when Olise advanced through the midfield and delivered a precise pass to Mateta, who managed to score despite Hamza’s efforts to intercept. France thought they had a late penalty when VAR reviewed a handball by Fayed, but after a lengthy review, referee Said Martinez ruled there was a foul in the buildup.
Fayed was sent off in the 92nd minute during tense moments following the penalty review. France capitalized on their numerical advantage, with Mateta scoring his second goal following a header from Kiliann Sildillia. Olise then added a third goal with a low left-footed shot from inside the box.
With this win, France sets its sights on securing the Olympic gold against Spain in what promises to be a historic final.
