Up to 22 police officers were injured after celebrations marking Morocco's victory in the world cup Qualifiers against the Ivory Coast turned violent in Brussels. More than 300 Moroccan fans went on the rampage outside the stock exchange in the centre of Brussels, a spot which is renowned for where fans gather to celebrate sporting events. The "riot" broke out around the Place de la Bourse, where Brussels Christmas Market is currently under construction. It is reported that cars were burnt and several shops were looted during the disturbances. Police eventually had to resort to using a water cannon to disperse the crowd.
According to Reuters News, there are many pictures across social media displaying the aftermath of the disturbances.
A night of joy which turned to misery
Across Morocco, thousands of fans celebrated the momentous victory over the Ivory Coast, in which they beat African giants the Ivory Coast 2-0 to top their group. This is the first time that Morocco has reached the World Cup finals in over 20 years, which is due to be held in Russia next year. In Rotterdam, some of the celebrations also turned violent, when fans took to the streets to celebrate the victory. It was reported by Dutch police in the Hague some of the fans began to throw objects at the officers. Belgium has a large Moroccan community of roughly 100,000 people.
In a tweet after the disturbances, Belgium's Interior Minister Jan Jambon condemned the violent scenes stating the disturbances amounted to "unacceptable aggression in the centre of Brussels." He went on to say that "Living together means respect, also for the officers who protect our safety day and night."
The match was a great result for Morocco
The current manager of Morroco, French coach Herve Renard led the Ivory Coast to African Cup of Nation's victory in 2 years ago, and seems to be doing his reputation no harm by steering Morocco towards the World Cup .
The match was decided by two goals from defenders Mehdi Benatia and Nabil Dirar, which saw Morocco top Group C with 12 points.
Celebrations that should have been about joy and national pride quickly turned into a night of misery for many in the centre of Brussels, but with that being said many of the celebrations remained peaceful. Morocco attending their first World Cup in over two decades is a momentous achievement for the nation, it's just sad the celebrations in Brussels had to be marred by a few bad apples.