Morocco V Belgium: Riot Erupts As Moroccan Fans Flip Cars, Celebrate Famous Win
Police had to seal off parts of the center of Brussels, deploy water cannons and fire tear gas to disperse crowds following violence during and after Morocco’s 2-0 upset win over Belgium at the World Cup.
Dozens of rioters set steps on fire and pelted cars with bricks. Police moved in after one person suffered facial injuries, said Brussels police spokeswoman Ilse Van de Keere.
Brussels mayor Philippe Close urged soccer fans to stay away from the city center and said authorities were doing their utmost to keep order in the streets. Even subway and tram traffic had to be interrupted on police orders.
Morocco’s victory was a major upset at the World Cup and was enthusiastically celebrated by fans with Moroccan immigrant roots in many Belgian cities. Belgium beat Morocco 1-0 at the group stages of the 1994 World Cup, but the North Africans recorded a 4-1 victory when the two countries last met in a friendly in Brussels in 2008.
Belgium, ranked No. 2 in the world behind Brazil, had won its last seven group games at the World Cup before the upset. It was Morocco’s first win at a World Cup since 1998 (beating Scotland 3-0) and only its third ever.
The Atlas Lions have gotten past the group stage only once in 1986 (drawing Poland & England 0-0 respectively, before beating Portugal 3-1), becoming the first African side to top the group in the World Cup, before losing 0-1 in the knockout stages to eventual runner-up, West Germany.
People from the North African Country form one of the largest migrant groups in Belgium, with strong links established in the 1960s when Moroccans flocked to the country responding to the demand for miners and workers in other industries.
The Moroccan community in Belgium kept growing and is now estimated to be between 400,000 and half a million strong.
In the Morocco squad, Ilias Chair, Anass Zaroury, Selim Amallah and Bilal El Khannous all have roots in Belgium – with the latter two players plying their trade with Standard Liege and Genk respectively in the Belgian league.
It was not immediately clear how many people were detained during the disturbances.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y858geHrSyE
