Referee Ilgiz Tantashev hit the turf after a heavy collision with Spain defender Marc Pubill
There were concerning scenes during this evening’s Olympic men’s football semi-final between Spain and Morocco as the referee was forced off with a nasty-looking injury.
Ilgiz Tantashev of Uzbekistan had been selected to officiate the high-stakes clash but hobbled off the field after only 15 minutes after being clattered into by Spanish defender Marc Pubill.
Replays of the incident appeared to show Pubill initially being shoved by a Moroccan opponent, before stumbling into Tantashev’s right leg at Marseille’s Orange Velodrome.
The match had to be put on hold for several minutes while Tantashev received treatment but the 40-year-old could not continue and had to be replaced by Sweden’s Glenn Nyberg, who had originally been appointed as the fourth official.
Soufiane Rahimi went on to score from the penalty spot to give Morocco the lead at the end of the first half.
The Moroccan forward – who plays his club football for UAE Pro League outfit Al Ain – now has six goals in his last five games.
The winning team will face the victor of the second semi-final between France and Egypt, which takes place in Lyon later this evening.
Morocco finished top of Group B to advance to the quarter-finals, where they went on to thrash the United States 4-0.
Spain, meanwhile, progressed as Group C runners-up behind Egypt and putting three unanswered goals past Japan to book their spot in the semi-finals of the tournament.
Speaking ahead of his side’s clash with Spain, Morocco head coach Tarik Sektioui expressed his pride in the team’s achievements.
‘I am honoured to be here with these players,’ he told reporters.
‘We have felt that they carry a great love for Morocco and for the Moroccan flag and they feel responsible for developing Moroccan football.
On the danger posed by Spain, Sektioui added: ‘We know Spain’s strengths and weaknesses very well and they also know our strengths and weaknesses.
‘At this point, there is no room for surprises. All the details of each team are known.’
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