From Al Ain to Paris, Soufiane Rahimi lights up Olympics with Morocco

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Moroccan football has enjoyed an upwards trajectory since a stunning run to the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar almost two years ago.

The Atlas Lions became the first African or Arab nation to secure a berth in the last four of the global finals, eventually succumbing to France 2-0.

Though there was a notable, and almost inevitable, blip at the rescheduled 2023 Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, Morocco have established themselves as one of the dark horses in the men's Olympic football tournament in Paris.

A 2-1 win over Argentina amid farcical circumstances last week was followed up with a defeat to Ukraine by the same scoreline. Tuesday's 3-0 victory over Iraq, however, saw them pip Argentina as winners of Group B to secure a quarter-final showdown against USA.

Their guiding light during the group phase was a notable absence from both their historic World Cup run and their insipid Afcon campaign. Soufiane Rahimi, one of the four over-aged players in Issame Charai's squad has registered goals in all three matches so far and will once again spearhead an attack that looks as good as any at these Paris Olympics.

Rahimi's form will come as no surprise to UAE fans. The wispy winger was Al Ain's lodestar in their run to the Asian Champions League final. Rahimi scored three goals across two quarter-final legs against a Cristiano Ronaldo-led Al Nassr where he also converted from the penalty spot in the 3-1 shoot-out win.

A hat-trick against Saudi giants Al Hilal, a side on a record 34-match win streak, put Al Ain firmly in control of the semi-final first leg with the Garden City club advancing to the final 5-4 on aggregate.

A two-legged final against Japan's Yokohama F Marinos was their reward but a 2-1 defeat in Tokyo meant Al Ain had it all to do in the second leg.

But cometh the hour, cometh the man. Within eight minutes Rahimi had levelled the tie and by the end of it he had added a second and had a hand in another as Al Ain ran out 6-3 winners overall to be crowned continental champions for only a second time.

Rahimi finished as top scorer in that competition with 13 goals and he is out on his own in Paris with four strikes.

Two goals either side of half time saw Morocco secure a memorable win over Argentina, although the match will be best remembered for the chaotic scenes that saw fans invade the pitch and objects thrown at the South American players, which resulted in the game being halted.

The final few minutes were played out in front of an empty stadium in Saint Etienne almost four hours after the match kicked off.

Only a late winner denied Morocco a point against 10-man Ukraine after Rahimi had equalised from the penalty spot. He was then Iraq's tormentor-in-chief in their final group game, scoring the second of Morocco's first-half goals, though he was ultimately upstaged by Abde Ezzalzouli's superb strike for the third.

They take on an American side that finished second in Group A behind tournament favourites France thanks to wins over New Zealand and Guinea.

A front three of Griffin Yow, Paxten Aaronson and Kevin Paredes looked particularly sharp in the 3-0 win over Guinea but it is in defence where the Americans have looked vulnerable.

Special attention will need to afforded to Rahimi, the winger who took Asia by storm now looking to do the same in Paris.

Morocco are joined in the last eight by North African neighbours Egypt, who face Paraguay for a place in the semi-finals.

Egypt pulled off a shock 2-1 win over Spain in their final Group C encounter to secure their place in the knockout rounds as group winners.

Rogerio Micale's side got their campaign off to an inauspicious start with a goalless draw against unfancied Dominican Republic but bounced back with a 1-0 win over Uzbekistan before victory over Spain.

Their opponents, Paraguay, have been involved in the two highest scoring matches of the men's tournament so far.

The South Americans were hammered 5-0 in their opener by eventual group winners Japan before rebounding in a 4-2 win over Israel. A 1-0 win over Mali saw them through as runners-up.

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