There are two extremely attractive blind football semi-finals on offer at Paris 2024 on Thursday (5 September). France will take on Colombia and Brazil and Argentina will resume their rivalry.

Colombia wrote their name in the Paralympic blind football history books on Tuesday (3 September). They secured their first-ever Paralympic blind football semi-final spot following a dramatic 1-0 victory over Morocco. The top of the table clash between both nations in Group B—played in overcast conditions under the iconic Eiffel Tower—remained goalless at halftime as both sides struggled to break the deadlock on a slippery pitch. As the clock winded down, a scoreless draw was looming on the horizon. However, Juan David Perez had victory on his mind. With under six minutes of regular time remaining, the forward unleashed a crucial strike that secured blind football glory for Colombia for the second time. Their win achieved two milestones by finishing first in Group B with seven points and securing a semi-final position.

“This is life-changing for me and for all my teammates. We are representing our country at the highest possible level and we are giving people hope. This is why we are playing well, because we play for one another,” said Alex Enrique Martinez Guevara.

Photo Description: Colombia Men’s Blind Football National Team celebrate semi-final qualification after the final whistle by the sideboards. Jhon Elder Gonzalez Hernandez points his right hand to the sky and screams with excitement as goalkeeper Jhon Fredy Gomez Giraldo runs over to him. Ⓒ Daniel Zappe / IBSA

Argentina could qualify for the semi-finals by beating Japan as Morocco finished Group B with four points. The World champions took the game to Japan from the start, with Maximilliano Espinillo’s second-minute shot hitting the post. Argentina drew first blood in the tenth minute thanks to Osvaldo Fernandez. The midfielder received a pass from captain Angel Deldo Garcia on the right and netted the ball in. Espinillo had another chance to grab Argentina’s second goal before the final whistle with an eight-metre penalty, but his powerful strike was saved by Japan’s goalkeeper Daisuke Sato. Argentina’s 1-0 victory again Japan confirmed second place with five points in Group B and a spot in the semi-finals.

“This is only my second international goal and for it to have come in such an important match, with everything that was at stake, it’s incredible,” said Osvaldo Fernandez.

The race for the semi-final qualification in Group A also went down to the wire, with Brazil securing qualification first by topping the group with seven points after 0-0 draw against China. China attacked Brazil’s defence mercilessly throughout the game, coming within inches of scoring the game’s first goal on multiple occasions. However, Brazilian goalkeeper Luan Goncalves made numerous saves to prevent China from scoring, especially in the last few seconds of the game when the ball almost creeped over his goal line. Brazil’s qualification ensured that South America as a continent will have triple representation in the Paralympic blind football semi-finals, following wins from Colombia and Argentina in Group B earlier in the day.

France claimed the last semi-final spot of the day after a 2-0 win over Turkiye. The final game of the day began at a slow pace, but the hosts picked up the speed as the first half progressed. French captain Frederic Villeroux scored in the tenth minute after driving past the Turkish defence from the midfield and fired the ball into the net. Martin Baron cannoned France’s second goal in during the twentieth minute to seal qualification for the hosts. When asked if yesterday (Tuesday 3 September) was the best day of his life, Frederic Villeroux stated that:

“It certainly is a great day. I don’t know if it is the best of my life. We won the silver medal in London 2012 but to win and qualify for the semifinal, at the feet of the Eiffel Tower and with this incredible crowd, was something incredible.”

Photo Description: French captain Frederic Villeroux takes a strike at the Turkish goal. Ⓒ Daniel Zappe / IBSA

Today is a rest day in Paris and the teams will revitalize for matches tomorrow (Thursday 4 September). Turkiye will play Japan for seventh place at 10.30am local time, followed by China against Morocco for fifth place at 1pm. The semi-finals will commence in the evening, with France meeting Colombia at 5:30pm and Brazil taking on Argentina at 8pm.

By Keon Richardson / For IBSA