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Host City: Sydney, Australia
Date Started: September 13, 2000
Date Finished: September 30, 2000
Events: 2
Participants: 391 (267 men and 124 women) from 20 countries
Youngest Participant:  Idriss Carlos Kameni (16 years, 209 days)
Oldest Participant:  Nelson Tapia (33 years, 357 days)
Most Medals (Athlete): 99 athletes with 1 medal
Most Medals (Country): 6 countries with 1 medal
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Winning from behind and form-shattering results seemed to be the norm in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games football competition. Football is the most popular team sport played in the world. With the relaxation of the amateur regulation and the inclusion of the women's competition in the Olympic Games, the 'world game' has also become one of the most popular and thrilling Olympic sports.
Although 2000 marked a hundred years of Olympic football, the first Games to include women's football were those in Atlanta, where also the first Olympic gold medal in the sport went to an African nation. The Sydney 2000 Games continued the challenge to the traditional order, when underdogs Cameroon and Norway, respectively, beat their more fancied rivals, Spain and the USA, in the men's and women's finals.
The football tournament of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games was the only sport played outside the host city. It was innovative and itinerant, with pool and semifinal games being played in four other capital cities around the nation. Crowds of over 90 000 and 70 000 for matches in Melbourne justified this decentralisation. Football, which had one million spectators at 48 matches, outdrew all other sports. The home crowd may have been disappointed by the performances of the Australian team, but the high scoring (an average of almost four goals per game) and nail-biting finishes kept them roaring for more. |
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Overview
The formats were the same in 2000 for both the men's and women's tournaments. The women had eight teams separated into two four-team groups who played a round-robin format, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the semi-finals and the knock-out phase. The men had 16 teams separated into four four-team groups who played a round-robin format, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the quarter-finals and the knock-out phase.
The women's field was selected as the top seven teams at the 1999 World Cup (Norway, Brazil, China, Germany, Nigeria, Sweden, and United States), along with host nation Australia. The 16 men's teams qualified as follows ' Australia as the host nation; four teams from the 1992 UEFA Europe Under-21 Championships (Italy, Czech Republic, Spain, Slovakia); three teams from an AFC (Asia) Olympic Qualifying Tournament (Kuwait, Japan, Korea [South]); two teams from a CONCACAF (North & Central America/Caribbean) Olympic Qualifying Tournament (Honduras, United States); two teams from a CONMEBOL (South America) Olympic Qualifying Tournament (Brazil, Chile); and four teams from a CAF (Africa) Olympic Qualifying Tournament (Cameroon, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa). South Africa qualified in a two-match play-off against the Oceania qualifier, New Zealand.
The venues were six stadia spread around Australia as follows ' Olympic Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales; Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales; Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane, Queensland; Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, South Australia; Bruce Stadium, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory; and Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria. The women only played in three stadia ' Melbourne Cricket Ground, Bruce Stadium, and Sydney Football Stadium.
In the women's tournament Norway won the gold medal, defeating the United States, 3-2, in extra-time. Cameroon won the men's gold medal, defeating Spain in a penalty shoot-out after tying after extra time, 2-2.
The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics started on 15 September. The men's tournament is played by U-23 (under 23 years old) national teams, with up to three over age players allowed per squad. Article 1 of the tournament regulations states: "The Tournaments take place every four years, in conjunction with the Summer Olympic Games. The associations affiliated to FIFA are invited to participate with their men's U-23 and women's representative teams."
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Venues
Six venues were used during the tournament, four of them outside of Sydney at cities around Australia. Stadium Australia hosted the Final.
* Hindmarsh Stadium only used during the Men's tournament. Temporary seating was added for the games.
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Competition schedule
| P |
Preliminaries |
¼ |
Quarterfinals |
½ |
Semifinals |
B |
3rd place play-off |
F |
Final |
| Event↓/Date → | Wed 13 | Thu 14 | Fri 15 | Sat 16 | Sun 17 | Mon 18 | Tue 19 | Wed 20 | Thu 21 | Fri 22 | Sat 23 | Sun 24 | Mon 25 | Tue 26 | Wed 27 | Thu 28 | Fri 29 | Sat 30 |
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| Men |
P |
P |
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P |
P |
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P |
P |
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¼ |
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½ |
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B |
F |
| Women |
P |
P |
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P |
P |
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P |
P |
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½ |
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B |
F |
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Medal summary
Medal table
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Men's Football
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Host City: Sydney, Australia
Venue(s): Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane, Queensland; Bruce Stadium, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory; Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, South Australia; Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Victoria; Olympic Stadium, Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales; Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales
Date Started: September 13, 2000
Date Finished: September 30, 2000
Format: Round-robin pools advance teams to single-elimination tournament of eight teams. |
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Summary
As in 1996, the Brazilians were favored to finally win an Olympic gold medal, having been the runners-up in 1984 and 1988. Again, their national team coach (Vanderlei Luxemburgo) also led the Olympic squad. And, as in 1996, the Brazilians progressed despite a first round shock loss, this time to South Africa. But, as in Atlanta, the Brazilians went out by a golden goal against an African team. The Brazilians were lucky to get into extra time, [Ronaldinho] scoring the equaliser in stoppage time despite the )Indomitable Lions) being down two men due to red cards. [Modeste M'Bami] ended the Brazilians' Olympic dream, and Luxemburgo was sacked. Cameroon progressed into the final, coming back from a 78th minute own goal to win 2-1 against Chile. The Spaniards had had a somewhat easier road to the final, winning against Italy and the United States in the knockout phase. The final was a real thriller. Spain went ahead by a goal from [Xavi], and missed the opportunity to double the lead when 16-year-old goalie [Idriss Kameni] stopped a penalty. [Gabri] then scored the 2-0 anyway, seemingly sealing Spain's second Olympic title after 1992. But Cameroon fought back, and scored two goals within five minutes in the second half. Gabri was then sent off for a flying tackle, followed by his team mate [Jose Mari] when he received his second yellow. This left Cameroon in charge during extra time, and they appeared to have won when a goal by star player [Samuel Eto'o] was disallowed for offside, although if the attacker had started from his own half. After 120 minutes, penalty shots had to decide the champion, the first time in an Olympic football final. All Cameroonians scored, while [Ivan Amaya] missed for Spain. Amaya definitely did not have the night of his life: he had already put a header behind his own keeper for the 2-1.
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The first round of pool games began before the Opening Ceremony. Australia played Italy at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in front of a tremendous crowd of 93 252. This was a game from heaven for organisers, as Melbourne has a large Italian population. Australia held out 0–0 until Italy scored a goal in the 81st minute, Andrea Pirlo gratefully accepting a misdirected back-pass from Australian Hayden Foxe – the harbinger of a disappointing tournament for the Olyroos.
The 1996 Olympic champions, Nigeria, began with an indifferent draw against Honduras, while in group C the USA held the favoured Czech Republic to a 2–2 draw. Cameroon's 3–2 victory against Kuwait in Brisbane was not convincing. The next day, also in Brisbane, perennial favourites Brazil gave Slovakia a head start before winning 3–1. Chile was impressive in its 4–1 victory over Morocco, with Inter Milan star Ivan Zamorano scoring a hat-trick. At 33 and in the twilight of his career, he went on to become the tournament's top scorer with six goals.
In other games, Spain easily overcame Korea, while South Africa was on the end of a second-half double from Japan's Naohiro Takahara, losing 2–1. The amazing result and major upset of the group rounds and possibly the tournament was South Africa's 3–1 defeat of Brazil.
In an Australian double-header at the Sydney Football Stadium (SFS) on 16 September, the prospect of seeing the Olyroos play the Olympic champions, Nigeria, drew a crowd of 38 080. The result, however, was not what the crowd wished, the local men losing 3–2, after gallantly levelling from a two-goal deficit before Victor Agali sealed it for the Nigerians.
The quarterfinalists began to emerge before the final pool games. Italy and Nigeria came through Group A. The US men's side caused an upset when it finished the pool games with 5 points and went into the quarterfinals for the first time. Cameroon survived by grabbing a draw against the Czech Republic. The Australian men, already out of the running, lost their third match 1–2 to Honduras. Nor was the football pride of the host nation to be restored by the women's team, which also finished last in its group.
Day 8 of the Games brought the men's quarterfinals. These were played in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. The standout game, Spain versus Italy in Sydney, was fated to be a typical European 'arm-wrestle'. The draw meant that only a single European team would go through to the semifinals.
The setting, the crowd of 38 134, and the occasion all argued for a classic match. Italy played in an all-white uniform, not the familiar 'azzuri' stripe, Spain in red and gold. The Italians had tremendous support from the locals and the early encounters were fierce, but it was Spain that had more positive moments. They began to dominate the mid-field through the Barcelona player Xavi (Xavier Hernandez). Tamudo (Raul Tamudo) could have put the Spanish ahead in the 62nd minute, but missed a chance from 8 m. He was replaced in the 70th minute and, as by script, it was the substitute, Gabri (Gabriel Garcia), who took an excellent through ball from Xavi to score the winning goal in the 86th minute.
While the Europeans jousted in Sydney, the Chileans were crashing their way to a 3–0 lead in Melbourne. The understrength Nigerians had no answer to the organisation and flair of Chile's Ivan Zamorano, who commanded his young legion brilliantly. Chile eventually won 4–1 and was favourite for the gold at this stage. Their prominent and vocal supporters were demonstratively delighted by the result.
The other African side, Cameroon, did not surrender in their quarterfinal clash with Brazil. They never stopped running, shooting and, particularly, hoping. They ended the match with nine men and at one stage had only eight on the field. They led 1–0 going into the last minute, when a second yellow card for Aaron Nguimbat caused his expulsion. From the free kick awarded on the edge of the box, Ronaldinho (Ronaldo de Assis Moreira) scored the equaliser for Brazil and the game went into extra time. Defying logic, however, the 'indomitable lions' of Cameroon scored the golden goal in the 113th minute of play when Modeste Mbami hit a fantastic right foot shot from 20 m that left the Brazilian keeper, Helton (Helton da Silva Arruda), in despair.
Simultaneously, the fourth quarterfinal between the USA and Japan was exciting the Adelaide crowd. Japan had the match won until conceding a penalty late in the second half, from which Pete Vagenas scored. No goals came in extra time and the agony of a penalty shoot-out resulted. Amazingly it was Hidetoshi Nakata, Japan's most experienced player, who missed the penalty that put the USA through to the semifinals.
In the Melbourne semifinal, in front of an excellent crowd of 64 338 and in pouring rain, Cameroon continued to confound the pundits by beating Chile. The game was locked up at 0–0 late in the second half, but in the 78th minute a blocked shot from Chilean substitute Sebastian Gonzalez ricocheted off Cameroon defender Patrice Abanda to give Chile the lead. It seemed that it was only in adversity that Cameroon produced its best, as Patrick Mboma equalised six minutes later from a corner, and then, as extra time looked likely, Cameroon was awarded a penalty. Lauren Etame Mayer confidently slotted it past Nelson Tapia and Cameroon progressed to a place in the final to be played at Sydney Olympic Stadium. Their opponents were decided at the SFS, where 39 800 spectators saw Spain dispatch the USA 3–1. There was nothing glamorous about the win but the Spaniards ground the Americans down in a highly professional display.
Could the men's final live up to the drama of the semifinal or the women's final? This was the question all asked. As we now know, it did and, in the process, took Olympic football to new heights. The match was unbelievably dramatic. There was a missed penalty, four goals and two send-offs before the Russian roulette of the penalty shoot-out.
The Cameroon team added new dimensions to its usual heroics. They conceded a goal to Spain's Xavi after 75 seconds and another to Gabri for a 2–0 deficit at half-time. The young team, however, regrouped after the break. After periods of extreme pressure from Cameroon, the Spanish defender, Ivan Amaya, scored an own goal, then Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o Fils scored the equaliser to force the game to extra time.
The Spanish player Gabri went from hero to villain when he was sent off in the second half. Then team-mate Jose Mari (Jose Maria Romero) was also dismissed, in the 91st minute. Despite facing only nine men, Cameroon could not score a 'golden' goal during extra time, but they prevailed in the penalty shoot-out against a team possessing some of the world's ace goalscorers. Most of the capacity crowd vocally supported the Cameroon side that had breathed a sense of excitement into the football competition at Sydney 2000; it seemed as if the gods supported the team too! The twice-cursed Amaya missed for Spain and when Pierre Wome left-footed the ball to the Spanish keeper Daniel Aranzubia's right, scoring the 'winning' penalty for Cameroon, the Olympic Stadium erupted in a collective roar.
Idriss Carlos Kameni, the 16-year-old Cameroon goalkeeper, found instant fame. He had become the youngest ever footballer to win Olympic gold. |
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The men's football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was held in Sydney and four other cities in Australia from 15 September to 30 September. It was the 22nd edition of the men's Olympic football tournament.
The final, played at the Olympic Stadium in Sydney, Australia, attracted the Olympic Games Football attendance record of 104,098 which broke the previous record of 101,799 set at the Rose Bowl for the gold medal match of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, with Cameroon winning the gold |
Qualification
The following 16 teams qualified for the 2000 Olympic men's football tournament:
Four countries competed for the first time in 2000: the Czech Republic and Slovakia (previously champions together as Czechoslovakia at the 1980 Summer Olympics), South Africa and Honduras.
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Match officials
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Knockout stage
Note: Extra time periods were played under the golden goal rule.
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Quarter-finals |
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Semi-finals |
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Final |
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23 September – Adelaide |
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 United States (p) |
2 (5) |
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26 September – Sydney |
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 Japan |
2 (4) |
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 Spain |
3 |
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23 September – Sydney |
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United States |
1 |
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 Italy |
0 |
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30 September – Sydney |
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Spain |
1 |
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Spain |
2 (3) |
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23 September – Brisbane |
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 Cameroon (p) |
2 (5) |
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 Brazil |
1 |
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26 September – Melbourne |
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Cameroon (aet) |
2 |
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 Chile |
1 |
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23 September – Melbourne |
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Cameroon |
2 |
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Bronze medal match |
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Chile |
4 |
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29 September – Sydney |
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 Nigeria |
1 |
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United States |
0 |
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Chile |
2 |
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Final
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Bronze medal match
September 29, 2000
8:00 p.m. |
 Chile |
2-0 |
 United States |
Football Stadium , Sydney
Attendance: 26.381
Referee: Micallef (AUS)
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Zamorano 69 th (pen), 84 th |
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Semi-finals
September 26, 2000
8:00 p.m. |
 Spain |
3-1 |
United States |
Football Stadium , Sydney
Attendance: 39.800
Referee: Daami (TUN)
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Tamudo 16 th
Angulo 25 th
José Mari 87 th |
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Vagenas 42 e (pen) |
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September 26, 2000
9:00 p.m. |
Chile |
1-2 |
 Cameroon |
Melbourne Cricket Ground , Melbourne
Attendance: 64.338
Referee: Bré (FRA)
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Abanda 78th (csc) |
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Mboma 84 th
Lauren 89 th (pen) |
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Quarterfinals
September 23, 2000
7:00 p.m. |
 Brazil |
1-2 (ap) |
Cameroon |
Brisbane Cricket Ground , Brisbane
Attendance: 37.332
Referee: Fandel (GER)
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Ronaldinho 90+ ' |
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Mboma 17 th
M'Bami 113 th |
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September 23, 2000
8:00 p.m. |
 Italy |
0-1 |
Spain |
Football Stadium , Sydney
Attendance: 38.134
Referee: Simon (BRA)
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Gabri 86 th |
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September 23, 2000
8:00 p.m. |
Chile |
4-1 |
 Nigeria |
Melbourne Cricket Ground , Melbourne
Attendance: 44.425
Referee: Mane (KUW)
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Contreras 17 th
Zamorano 18 th
Navia 42 e
Tello 65 th |
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Agali 76 th |
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Semi-finals
September 26, 2000
8:00 p.m. |
Spain |
3-1 |
United States |
Football Stadium , Sydney
Attendance: 39.800
Referee: Daami (TUN)
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Tamudo 16 th
Angulo 25 th
José Mari 87 th |
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Vagenas 42 e (pen) |
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September 26, 2000
9:00 p.m. |
Chile |
1-2 |
Cameroon |
Melbourne Cricket Ground , Melbourne
Attendance: 64.338
Referee: Bré (FRA)
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Abanda 78th (csc) |
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Mboma 84 th
Lauren 89 th (pen) |
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Group stage
Preliminary round
Group A
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Group B
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Cameroon
Norway
Spain
United States
Chile
Germany
Italy 
Japan 
Nigeria 
South Korea 
Honduras 
South Africa 
Kuwait 
Slovakia 
Czech Republic 
Australia 
Morocco 
