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Morocco defeated Argentina in the opening football match of the Paris OIympics after farcical scenes that saw the final few minutes played out in front of an empty stadium in Saint Etienne four hours after the match kicked off.
It looked like Morocco had been denied a memorable victory when Argentina grabbed an equaliser 16 minutes into added time after Cristian Medina headed home to level the Group B clash at 2-2 at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
What had been an enthralling match was then marred by ugly scenes at the end that saw Morocco fans invade the pitch and objects thrown at Argentina players as chaos erupted in the eastern French city.
After order was restored and the teams had left the field, they discovered that the match had not been completed but suspended by officials while Medina's goal had been disallowed for offside by VAR.
Two hours after proceedings were brought to a halt, players and officials were back on the pitch, referee Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg officially disallowed the goal and the final three minutes were played with the game finally being completed with no fans present.
Earlier, Argentina had been booed as they emerged on to the pitch and during the national anthems by the crowd, the majority of whom were supporting Morocco. That welcome came after Argentina players were filmed singing what many considered racist chants following their victory in the recent Copa America.
And it was Morocco who took control of the game courtesy of two goals from striker Soufiane Rahimi, who struck just before and after half-time.
Morocco opened the scoring in first-half injury-time after a fine move that saw Ilias Akhomach flicking a back-heel into the path of Bilal El Khannouss whose low cross was smashed home by the Al Ain striker.
It was 2-0 six minutes into the second half when Villarreal winger Akhomach went down in the box after a needless push in the back by Julio Soler and Rahimi fired home from the spot with goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli guessing the right way but unable to get a hand to the ball.
It continued what has been a dream season for Rahimi who played a key role in Al Ain triumphing in the Asian Champions League – under the stewardship of Argentine coach Hernan Crespo.
Rahimi bagged three goals over two legs in the UAE club's quarter-final victory over Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr, a hat-trick in the last-four win against Al Hilal and a brace versus Yokohama F Marinos in the final.
Argentina dragged themselves back into the match in the 68th minute when Julio Soler's cross-come-shot that was turned in at the back post by Giuliano Simeone.
Then Medina thought he had earned his side a point when headed home from close range after the South Americans struck the crossbar twice in the matter of seconds.
That sparked angry scenes among Morocco fans who invaded the pitch and peppered Argentina players with bottles and cups before Nyberg blew for what everyone at the ground thought was the final whistle.
Even Fifa's website declared the game over, while big screens informed fans the match was suspended and they had to leave the stadium.
About an hour after the incident, organisers at the venue said the match was not officially over and VAR was reviewing whether the goal would stand.
Players eventually re-entered the field after a long delay and began to warm up before the game could be concluded.
After warm-ups, players from both teams stood on the field in the otherwise empty stadium while Nyberg went through the motions of reviewing the incident on a pitchside monitor. He offered a brief explanation to Argentina’s players after the goal was overturned while players on Morocco's bench celebrated.
Play went on for just over three minutes after the resumption before the final whistle was blown. Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi then gathered his teammates in a huddle on the halfway line with their cheers then echoing around the empty stadium.
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You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
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The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
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Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
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