Brazil leads Group A with six points, while Colombia and Morocco share first place in Group B with four points.

The Eiffel Tower Stadium continues to impress the tens of thousands of spectators attending the blind football competition. The venue has one of the most iconic and beautiful backdrops in Paris at this year’s Paralympic Games.

“Historic records of attendance for the sport we love. United by football, 11,000 spectators in each sold out game are getting louder to honor the 64 blind footballers in the most beautiful, iconic football stadium in front of the sparkling lights of Eiffel Tower”, said Elias Mastoras, IBSA Football Chairperson.

The first game was between Argentina and Colombia. The two teams played out in a tense 0-0 draw, with chances at both ends. Sharing a point with Argentina, Colombia maintained their first-place position in Group B.

The second game between Japan and Morocco was another tight contest in Group B. The game was heading towards a second game without any goals, until a massive error from Japan in the 26th minute led to Robertoizumi Sasaki kicking the ball in his own goal. Morocco saw out the remainder of the game to claim their first win and share the top of Group B with Colombia.

In the third game of the day, China recorded their first win in the blind football competition after a 2-0 win over Türkiye. Türkiye’s defense held out China in the first half, but China returned to the second half with direct attacks to the Turkish goal. Zhu Ruiming netted first in the 20th minute and Zhihua Tang scored the second in the 24th minute. Their goals earned China second place in Group A.

Photo Description: From left to right, China’s Xu Huachu, Liu Meng, Xu Guansheng, Tang Zhihua and Zhong Liang hold hands next to their guide Guishun Wang and display their gratitude to their fans in the middle of the pitch at the end of the game Ⓒ Daniel Zappe / IBSA 

The highly-anticipated game between Brazil and France was the final game of the day. The calm Parisian sunset, the golden Eiffel Tower and the cheering spectators set the ambiance for the game. Brazil was looking to continue their dominance with a second win, whilst France was looking to bank on home advantage to end Brazil’s undefeated streak after their remarkable feat against China on Sunday.

Brazil attacked France’s goal from the outset, but the hosts were compact and aggressive in defense to almost prevent the champions from getting a first-half goal. Brazil’s Ricardinho Alves found a way to score by weaving through the French defence from a corner and poke a shot into the goal with under two minutes before half time. France’s defensive discipline slipped afterwards, as they conceded a fifth accumulative foul, resulting in an eight-metre penalty that Jardiel Viera Soares converted. Raimundo Nonato Mendes scored Brazil’s final goal in the second half to confirm a 3-0 victory.

Photo Description: Raimundo Nonato Mendes of Brazil dribbles the ball towards goal with France’s Diakite Amhed Tidiane in front of him Ⓒ Daniel Zappe / IBSA

Tuesday (3^rd September) will conclude the preliminary round with all to play for, followed by a rest day ahead of the semi-finals on Thursday 5 September. The schedule for the preliminary round matches on Tuesday is listed below.

11:30am – Colombia vs Morocco (Group B)

1:30pm – Argentina vs Japan (Group B)

6:30pm – China vs Brazil (Group A)

8:30pm – Turkiye vs France (Group A)

The top two teams in Group A and Group B will qualify for the blind football semi-finals at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

By Keon Richardson / For IBSA