Paris Olympics 2024: My Dream Final revealed

By Adelani Ogunrinade 

The commencement of Paris 2024 certainly evokes good memories of Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000. The continent beamed with pride as Nigeria’s ‘Dream Team’ shimmered in gold under Sanford Stadium lights. Four years later, the indomitable Lions of Cameroon followed suit and struck gold after overcoming their Spanish adversaries. No African football team has told similar iconic stories of gold ever since. 

Sprinkles of Moroccan Magic in Paris 

Morocco kicked off the Dark continent’s quest to rewrite Olympic history in the striking splendour of The City of Light. Soufiane Rahimi lit up Paris 2024 like the hot flames of the Olympic torch when he scored a beautiful brace that sunk Argentina in their Group B opener. In their following match against Ukraine, The Atlas Cubs lacked the inexorable spark that unsettled Javier Mascherano and his coaching staff. Tarek Sektioui’s side were stunned by a vicious dagger to their hearts when Igor Grassnobir scored in the dying minutes of the match. A few days later, the Moroccan Olympians bounced back from the disappointing 2-1 loss to the Ukrainians. From the cold cauldrons of defeat to a bold dance into a new round of boundless possibilities, the resilient Cubs roared into the quarterfinals after thrashing Iraq in their last group game. 

Egyptian Kings glowing in The City of Light 

With Western representatives, Guinea and Mali already eliminated, The Pharaohs of Egypt continued to unmask the boundless potential that lies deep within North Africa. Like Morocco, the Egyptian kings majestically ascended to the quarter-finals after topping their group. Rogério Micale’s stars shone the brightest in their final group game against Spain. Goals by Ahmed Koka & Ibrahim Adel kept dreams of Olympic Gold medals alive for The Young Pharaohs. 

As these two North African nations continue to twinkle with promise, it will be a dream come true to watch an epic repeat of the U-23African Nations Cup final on the 9th of August. 

Image courtesy of www.sportnewsafrica.com