A painful 2-0 defeat ended Morocco’s campaign at the FIFA World Cup on Thursday. The result, however, sparked intense riots in a different part of the world. Paris geared up for riots, but it was London where chaos ensued, leading to injuries to a police officer.
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Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé struck in the second half to take France into the semifinals of the World Cup. After the defeat, angry Moroccan fans took to the streets to express their displeasure. Fans with the Moroccan flag marched onto the streets and confronted police officers on London’s Edgware Road.
There was at least one police officer who suffered injuries, as police also made several arrests that were made in London, according to Sky News. However, police were better prepared in London, as they were spotted in riot gear and dispersed the crowd with shields and batons.
The Morocco fan behavior was not only restricted to London, as a few incidents were also observed in the Netherlands. Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius slammed the rioters and called them “madmen,” for their extreme behavior.
Moroccan fans have a history of violence after exits from major soccer tournaments. When they knocked out the Netherlands earlier in the World Cup round of 32, Moroccan fans took to the streets in a triumphant mood, but it soon turned into clashes. 13 fans were arrested in The Hague, according to a Dutch publication, Politico.
France’s capital, Paris, expected a similar wave of riots and erected fences around the glass-paned shops to keep the rioters away. However, the French capital rejoiced after France’s victory as no major incidents were observed.
France now advances to the semifinals, where they meet either Spain or Belgium. Morocco, which finished fourth at the 2022 World Cup have to be content with a quarterfinal exit this time. The Arab Nation entered the tournament as African champions and had a stellar run to the last eight.
A sensational victory against the Netherlands in the round of 32 gave them hope of another deep run. The Atlas Lions dismantled Canada 3-0 in the round of 16, but they had no chance against a star-studded France team. Mbappé missed a penalty earlier in the first half but made up for it with a goal and an assist to knock Morocco out of the World Cup.
