Groupama Stadium

France began their 2024 Olympic Games campaign on home soil with a 3-2 victory over Colombia in Décines-Charpieu, Lyon.

Hervé Renard’s side, featuring a formidable front three of Kadidiatou Diani, Delphine Cascarino, and Marie-Antoinette Katoto, looked to secure a win despite never having claimed a major tournament trophy.

Colombia, aiming to break their Olympic group stage curse, fielded a strong lineup including all-time leading goalscorer Catalina Usme, Mayra Ramírez, and Real Madrid star Linda Caicedo.

How it happened

Determined to bounce back from their unforeseen Nations League defeat to the Republic of Ireland nine days ago, France needed only five minutes to break the deadlock.

Daniela Arias’s failure to close down Katoto allowed the striker to confidently slot the ball past Katherine Tapia for the game’s opener. Katoto nearly doubled her tally soon after but misdirected her header, giving Tapia a chance to redirect it over the crossbar.

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France’s second goal came quickly however as Kenza Dali’s stunning strike struck the underside of the bar before landing over the right side of the goal line.

Now needing a footballing phenomenon to get back into the game after only 18 minutes, Colombia came agonisingly close to halving the deficit as Ramírez’s glancing header came back off the left-hand post.

The hosts of the 2024 Games ultimately wrapped up all three points with a half of football still to play as a scintillating set-up of passes between Diani and Katoto allowed the latter to clinically head home. France certainly led down an early marker of intent to the other 10 nations in the tournament.

Second half

Nonetheless, Colombia were handed a lifeline back into the game by French goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin not long after the restart as she brought down the onrushing figure of Ramírez in the area.

It was Usme who provided the relief and customarily strolled up to the penalty spot to convert her 53rd goal to give her country hope of a miraculous comeback.

Brought on at half-time to replace captain Daniela Montoya, Manuela Paví sensationally reduced the arrears further in the 64th minute as she brilliantly beat her marker before expertly lifting the ball over the top of Peyraud-Magnin.

The visibly confidence-starved French number one then nearly gifted Las Cafeteras an equaliser, with her side looking seriously shaky. However, Ramírez could not take full advantage as she blazed her effort into the stands when squaring the ball seemed the better option.

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Colombia’s hopes of making history took a turn for the worse with four minutes left of regulation time as referee Tori Penso – via the assistance of VAR – upgraded Ramírez’s initial yellow card to a straight red for a reckless swipe on Selma Bacha’s Achilles tendon –

A huge blow for Colombia, the Chelsea forward will now miss the remainder of the group stage and the quarterfinals should they progress.

Despite being given an almighty scare, France indeed got their 2024 Games off to a winning start as Renard’s side prepares to face defending Olympic champions Canada on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Colombia – without the suspended talismanic figure of Ramírez – will take on New Zealand earlier in the day.

Starting XIs

France: Peyraud-Magnin; Lakrar, Renard ©, Mbock, Karchaoui; Toletti; Geyoro, Dali; Diani, Cascarino, Katoto

Colombia: Tapia; C Arias, Carabalí, D Arias, Vanegas; Montoya ©; Restrepo, Santos; Usme, Caicedo, Ramírez


Featured image courtesy of Zakarie Faibis via Wikimedia Commons. No changes were made to this image. License details found here.