Ukraine score deep into stoppage time to claim victory
Ten-man Ukraine staged a dramatic late comeback to secure a 2-1 victory over Morocco in their Olympic Games group stage match.
The win, achieved deep into stoppage time, comes after Ukraine's opening defeat to Iraq and propels them into contention for the knockout stages.
The match started with Morocco on the front foot, as Eliesse Ben Seghir and Achraf Hakimi created early chances.
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Ben Seghir's effort was thwarted by Ukrainian defenders, and Hakimi's curling shot narrowly missed the target.
Ukraine, however, weathered the early storm and took an unexpected lead in the 23rd minute.
Maksym Braharu's skillful play set up Dmytro Kryskiv, who calmly side-footed the ball past Moroccan goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi.
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Morocco continued to press, with Hakimi heading a cross over the bar and Soufiane Rahimi’s penalty being awarded after Volodymyr Salyuk's foul.
Despite Salyuk's red card, Rahimi's penalty equalized the score in the 65th minute. The match seemed to be slipping away from Ukraine as Rahimi had a chance to secure victory for Morocco, but Arseniy Batahov's brave block kept the score level.
As the match approached its final moments, Ukraine’s resilience paid off.
In the 100th minute of stoppage time, Ihor Krasnopir scored the decisive goal after a scramble in the box, silencing the Moroccan fans.
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Despite a VAR review, the goal stood, securing Ukraine's vital win.
With both teams now level on three points in the group, the final matchday promises high stakes, with Ukraine facing Argentina and Morocco taking on Iraq.