PARIS (Reuters) – Morocco reached the quarter-finals with a crushing 3-0 win over Group B rivals Iraq in Nice, while Spain relinquished top spot in Group C after a 2-1 loss to Egypt in Bordeaux, in the final group-stage matches of the Olympic football tournament on Tuesday.
Amir Richardson, Soufiane Rahimi and Abde Ezzalzouli all scored in the first half to make Morocco Group B leaders on goal difference.
Argentina, who advanced in second, beat Ukraine 2-0 thanks to Thiago Almada’s fine effort after halftime and Claudio Echeverri’s stoppage-time goal at Lyon Stadium.
An alternative lineup failed to clinch Spain first place in Group C, as Egypt moved above them with a brace from Egypt’s Ibrahim Adel earning them an unexpected win.
Morocco opened the scoring in the 19th minute when Richardson headed in a superb Achraf Hakimi cross before Rahimi doubled the advantage in the 28th pouncing on a rebound from the defence to net his fourth goal in the tournament.
Former Barcelona forward Ezzalzouli sealed the rout in the 36th minute when his brilliant strike from the edge of the box sailed into the far corner.
For Argentina, Almada scored two minutes after the break from long range after a great run, while Echeverri got on the scoreboard off a rebound from the Ukrainian goalkeeper in the 91st minute.
Elsewhere, Adel profited from the Spaniards’ defensive errors to score for Egypt in the 40th and 62nd minutes. Spain pulled one back in the final seconds of regular time when Samu Omorodion scored with a header.
Also in Group C, the Dominican Republic were eliminated from their first Olympic tournament after being held to a 1-1 draw by Uzbekistan, who arrived at the match at Parc des Princes having already been knocked out of the competition.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Paris; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
