Police used a water cannon and teargas in Brussels on Sunday night after coming under attack from football supporters who caused havoc following Morocco’s shock 2-0 World Cup win over Belgium in Qatar.
Dozens of fans smashed shop windows, threw fireworks and torched vehicles. They even sought confrontation with the police before the end of the match, Brussels police said in a statement.
A spokeswoman said some fans were armed with sticks and a journalist “was injured in the face by fireworks”, AFP reported.
Around a hundred police officers were mobilized while residents were warned to avoid certain areas of the city center. Metro stations were closed and streets blocked to limit the spread of the violence.
Riots also broke out in other Belgian and Dutch cities after Morocco’s win.
Two police officers were injured in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam, where riot officers tackled a group of 500 football supporters who pelted police with fireworks and glass.
Disturbances were also reported in Amsterdam and The Hague.
The victory for the North African side was a big upset at the World Cup.
Morocco’s Romain Saiss put the side ahead in the 73rd minute, before Zakaria Aboukhlal clinched the victory in stoppage time.
The result means Belgium are likely to need a win over Croatia in their final group match to qualify for the knockout stages.
