Riots erupted in Belgium’s capital Brussels and several other cities on Sunday after the historic upset by Morocco, 2-0, at the World Cup. Reports suggest unrest in Netherlands as well.
The Belgium capital is home to a sizeable Moroccan diaspora.
Video footage shared online showed crowds overturning and setting ablaze a car in Brussels. It was not immediately clear if the protests were between rival fans of the teams, the New York Times reported.
Mayor Philippe Close of Brussels said he strongly condemned the incidents. He advised fans to stay away from the city centre.
“The police are doing everything they can to maintain public order,” he added.
The city of Antwerp also saw an eruption of violence after the match. Police used water cannons and tear gas after coming under attack from football supporters.
Police took action in Rotterdam, where some 500 people gathered near the city centre, as well as in The Hague, Amsterdam and Utrecht, Dutch police tweeted.
Morocco displayed a stunning performance against Belgium scoring the first direct freekick goal in the tournament. They fought and finished for a goalless draw with 2018 finalist Croatia before the historic game with Belgium.
Ranked second in the world, Belgium is having a disappointing group stage with only one goal in the tournament. Belgium won 1-0 against Canada in the first round and has a match against Croatia next.
