Brussels, Nov 12 (AFP) Celebrations turned violent incentral Brussels, minutes after the qualification of theMoroccan national football team for the next World Cup inRussia, police told Belga news agency.
Riot police yesterday were sent out to control a crowd ofabout 300 people, at one point firing water canon at revelers.
At least one car was burned during the incidents, police said.
Videos posted on social media showed tense scenes as riotpolice tried to block off streets to the fans as other fanschanted joyfully from the steps of the Bourse stock exchangebuilding, a usual spot sports celebration.
An AFP reporter on the scene said that calm had mostlyreturned by 2030 GMT, about two hours after the end of thematch, though with a heavy police presence remaining.
Morocco defeated Ivory Coast 2-0 last night in Abidjan toqualifying for the 2018 World Cup, the country's firstappearance at the finals since 1998.
Brussels has a big Moroccan population, many living inthe nearby Molenbeek district, which came to internationalprominence as the home and hideout of planners of the terrorattacks in Paris in 2015 and in Brussels last year. (AFP) AHAH.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.