Two of Africa's six Olympic football contenders have progressed to the knockouts, with Morocco and Egypt - both in the men's competition - the only two sides still in with a shout of reaching the podium.
Nigeria's Super Falcons, meanwhile, look back on the women's tournament with regret, and Zambia also leave empty handed, having been on the receiving end of brutal defeats, albeit the Copper Queens' campaign was less chaotic than in Tokyo three years ago.
We have graded the African teams after the group stage of both the Olympic men's and women's football tournaments.
Nigeria
Grade: C
Considering this was the Super Falcons' fourth appearance at the Olympics -- no African women's team has featured more regularly -- the lack of progress evident for Randy Waldrum's side was a bitter disappointment.
The Super Falcons' run to the knockout stage of the past two FIFA Women's World Cup s suggested they might have been poised to compete with the heavyweights, but Paris 2024 provided a reality check.
Nigeria were defeated only narrowly by Brazil and world champions Spain -- both 1-0 losses, the latter after conceding in the 85th minute -- but the 3-1 defeat by Japan was, perhaps, a fairer indication of where the Falcons stand.
Asisat Oshoala missed the opener due to fitness complaints, and looked short of match sharpness thereafter -- failing to complete either of Nigeria's other group games -- while the absence of key players such as Ashleigh Plumptre and Halimatu Ayinde also proved costly.
Ayinde took to X ahead of the Japan match to criticise would-be Nigeria fans who have turned their back on the team during the competition.
"Stop the bad mouthing and give the Super Falcons all the support they need today," she urged Nigeria fans, to little avail.
Stop the bad mouthing and give the super falcons all the support they need today. One love❤️
— Ayinde Halimatu (@ayinde_halimatu) July 31, 2024
Let's give everything today mates!💪💚🇳🇬 @NGSuper_Falcons pic.twitter.com/dvIqtYDF8n
Zambia
Grade: C+
For a team that lost all three matches, conceding 13 goals, things don't feel as bad as, perhaps, they ought to for Zambia.
The Copper Queens -- ranked No. 64 in the world -- were always going to be rank outsiders against teams ranked No. 4, No. 5 and No. 12 in the global standings.
Perhaps three losses and a goal difference of -7 is a fair return for a team that had to overcome such a chasm in quality between them and their group-stage opponents, even if Zambia do possess the two most expensive women players on the planet.he
Racheal Kundananji and Barbra Banda stole the show, taking this grade to a C+.
The latter scored a hat-trick in the frantic 6-5 defeat by Australia -- becoming the only woman in history to score a treble three times in Olympic competition -- and pulled one back for the She-polopolo in their 4-1 loss to Germany.
Kundanandji, often scintillating in tandem with Banda, also registered two goals against the Matildas. The pair, between them, have scored all 13 of Zambia's Olympic goals (Banda 10, Kundanandji three), while Zambia improved their average goals conceded to 4.6 per match from 5 after the Tokyo Games.
Zambia have been involved in 6.8 goals per match in their six Olympic fixtures, and it's imperative they improve their defensive resolve -- with or without head coach Bruce Mwape, who is under investigation for sexual misconduct -- if Banda and hr teammates are to realise their promise.
Morocco
Grade: A-
Morocco progressed as Group B winners, having finished ahead of heavyweights Argentina and thereby avoiding hosts France in the quarterfinals of the men's tournament.
It's an excellent result for head coach Tarik Sektioui, who will be confident of a semifinal berth after being pitted against the United States in Paris, where the Parc des Princes crowd will surely be firmly behind the Atlas Lions.
Their grade dips after falling to a defeat against Ukraine, with Ihor Krasnopir 's 98th-minute winner leaving the North Africans with work to do in their final group game against Iraq, although ultimately the loss didn't matter in the grand scheme of things.
Iraq were put to bed inside half-an-hour, with Morocco leading 3-0 before half-time, while Soufiane Rahimi 's goals either side of the break to dispatch Argentina in the opener will live long in the memory.
The victory against Argentina was overshadowed by the late (late) controversy, but the result provided evidence that this Morocco team ought to fear no one as they hunt Africa's first gold medal in football since Cameroon in 2000.
Spain failing to top their group, and therefore potentially lying in wait in the semis, might make things trickier for the Lions, however.
Egypt
Grade: A
Arguably more impressive than their North African rivals, Egypt defied expectations to top Group C and set up a quarterfinals meeting with Paraguay in Marseille on Friday.
This leaves them in pursuit of a medal, and means this generation have at least equalled the memorable quarterfinal run of the team containing Mohamed Salah and Mohamed Aboutrika in London 14 years ago.
After stuttering to an opening 0-0 draw with the Dominican Republic, Egypt downed Uzbekistan 1-0 in Nantes -- squeezing out their opponents in a tight and cagey contest -- before seeing off fancied Spain 2-1 in their last group game.
A double from Ibrahim Adel -- identified by ESPN as Egypt's star man before the tournament -- was enough to see off La Roja, and the Pharaohs are favourites to defeat Paraguay and progress to the semis.
Guinea
Grade: C-
ESPN cautioned ahead of the tournament that Guinea would require a strong opening performance, and three points, in their first match against New Zealand to give themselves a fighting chance of reaching the knockouts. Instead, they lost 2-1, with a 72nd-minute equaliser by Amadou Diawara ultimately overshadowed by Ben Waine's winner four minutes later.
Guinea then lost 1-0 to France, albeit after holding on against the hosts for 75 minutes, before they were showed little mercy in a 3-0 thumping by the United States in their final group game.
The Syli Nationale will regret their inability to hold on in their opener, and rue the first half against France in Nice, where they had two goals disallowed -- including one from captain Naby Keïta -- and had a goal-bound header by Ilaix Moriba cleared off the line.
Keita's frequent fitness failings -- this time a thigh problem -- again denied him the chance to truly make an impact, and Guinea's flag bearer was once more left ruminating on an opportunity missed.
Mali
Grade: D
ESPN predicted ahead of the tournament that Mali's robust style and the European experience within their ranks should ensure their passage to the knockouts from an evenly matched group but they were eliminated after only three matches.
Unlike Guinea, they did at least pick up a point, although the underwhelming 1-1 draw with Israel set the tone for a disappointing campaign.
Mali faiuled to score against both Japan and Paraguay, albeit they were, perhaps, unlucky not to make the breakthrough in the second match after conceding early yet enjoying 57% possession and registering five shots on target.
One of two great attempts early in the second half -- from skipper Boubacar Traoré and Wilson Samake -- really should have gone in, but ultimately a great opportunity was missed, despite a fervent pro-Mali crowd at the Parc des Princes on Monday evening.