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Rabat – Morocco’s group stage victory over Belgium has prompted scenes of celebrations in the streets of Morocco and among Moroccan communities worldwide. The sound of cheers, car horns and chanting reverberated through the streets of Morocco for hours after the final whistle that saw Morocco win its first World Cup match in 24 years.
Photography: Yasmine Alaoui.
Families and groups of young people spontaneously took to the streets following the Atlas Lions’ 2-0 victory over top-ranked Belgium. Footage of vast celebrations in all Moroccan cities has flooded social media after a historic win for the beloved Moroccan national team.
Photography: Yasmine Alaoui.
From Tangier in the north, to Dakhla in the south, streets full of cheering people waving Moroccan flags and celebrating their national team has once again confirmed the enormous role the sport plays for the country’s population.
Photography: Yasmine Alaoui.
That passion appears to be shared by the Moroccan diaspora as massive celebrations erupted in European neighborhoods following the win. In the Dutch political capital of The Hague, the streets of the Schilderswijk were filled with fans celebrating the victory over Belgium which places Morocco comfortably at the top of Group F with four points.
Belgie – Marokko 0-2 Schilderswijk pic.twitter.com/4druOstxUW
— Bob van Keulen (@BobHGL) November 27, 2022
In the impoverished Brussels neighborhood of Molenbeek in Belgium, the Moroccan victory created hectic scenes, as Moroccan diaspora members and Belgians clashed. Ahead of the match Belgian police had stated they “hoped for a tie,” as lingering resentments between the local divided community resulted in riots where police deployed water cannons to subdue the crowd.
Photography: Yasmine Alaoui.
With celebrations still well underway hours after the conclusion of the match, Moroccans at home and abroad seem hopeful of another strong showing by the Atlas Lions in their final group match against Canada, which has everything to play for today against Croatia. If Canada were to lose to Croatia, it would already leave them out of contention for the next round of the World Cup.
