Belgian police detained several people and made one arrest last night after Morocco’s 2-0 victory over Belgium in their Qatar 2022 World Cup match sparked riots in Brussels.
Reports said a car and some electric scooters were set on fire, with people wounded too.
Reuters reported that the riots took place in several places across the Belgian capital where dozens of soccer fans, some draped in Moroccan flags, clashed with riot police with water cannons and tear gas.
Belgium has a large community of Moroccan migrants, believed to be up to 500,000 people, and most of them live in Brussels.
“Around 7 pm calm returned and preventive patrols remain in place in the sectors concerned,” police spokesperson Ilse Van de Keere said.
“The rioters used pyrotechnic material, projectiles, sticks, and set fire on the public highway,” the police said in a statement last night. “Also, a journalist was injured in the face by fireworks.
“It is for these reasons that it was decided to proceed with a police intervention, with the deployment of water cannon and the use of tear gas.”
The victory for Morocco was the first by an African team over Belgium in World Cup history, and the team ranked No.2 in the world by FIFA are in danger of an early exit.
Morocco need only a draw in their final Group F fixture against Canada on Thursday to advance to the round of 16 for the first time since 1986.
