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Riots erupted in Brussels after Belgium succumbed to a shock 2-0 defeat to Morocco in their second 2022 FIFA World Cup fixture on Sunday evening (27 November).
The official second-best team in the world (as per FIFA rankings), Belgium, took on the 22nd-best team on the planet, Morocco, in their second Group F encounter on Sunday. Roberto Martinez’s side failed to dominate proceedings and ultimately slumped to a 2-0 defeat, courtesy of stunning goals from Abdelhamid Sabiri and Zakaria Aboukhlal.
Upset with the result, fans took to the streets of the Belgian capital, Brussels, to show their frustration. Footage has shown fans lighting fires in the middle of Brussels roads and even vandalizing a car (via the Mirror). It has been claimed that a red car was completely trashed before it was flipped by the angry mob. A journalist was reportedly injured during the riots, with fireworks hurting their face.
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Police reportedly had to deploy water cans and fire tear gas in an attempt to control the crowd. It has been claimed that the police arrested around 12 people in Brussels while eight more were detained after causing a ruckus in Antwerp.
Fireworks were reportedly thrown near the Brussels-South railway station leading up to the FIFA World Cup kick-off between Belgium and Morocco. Bricks were reportedly hurled at the traffic during it. Around 100 riot police took to the streets to control the chaos that ensued over the course of the FIFA World Cup encounter.
Eden Hazard admits Belgium could struggle to seal Last 16 qualification at 2022 FIFA World Cup
Belgium’s defeat to Morocco leaves them in a tricky spot in Group F. Thanks to Morocco’s win and Croatia’s 4-1 victory over Canada, Luka Modric’s men find themselves at the top of the table. Belgium and Morocco are currently level on three points, but Morocco’s superior goal difference has allowed them to sit in second place.
Speaking after the game, skipper Eden Hazard lauded Morocco for their stunning display and admitted that the last-16 qualification was now tricky for the Red Devils. The Real Madrid man said:
“Morocco was just better than us today. We are all very disappointed but the Moroccans played very well. Now it will be difficult to qualify. But we are a team with great players and we will give everything against Croatia on Thursday.
“It certainly wasn't a bad match from us, but we didn't always do what was necessary defensively and we could also do better offensively. We played better than against Canada. Then we won, now we lose. That's just how it is. Congratulations to the Moroccans.”
Belgium need to snatch a win in their 2022 FIFA World Cup Group F clash against Croatia to guarantee passage to the last 16. Considering the way the 2018 FIFA World Cup finalists performed against Canada, Belgium could be in for quite a difficult night on Thursday (1 December).
