Morocco fans set tree on fire and attack medics in scary footage

Morocco fans celebrate beating Spain

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Morocco fans took to the streets across Europe to celebrate their World Cup last-16 knockout victory over Spain to reach the quarter-finals before things spiralled out of control in cities such as Brussels and Amsterdam. Just a week after violent clashes took place between police and fans after Morocco knocked Belgium out of the group stage, bedlam ensued with Morocco once again the victors on the football pitch.

Footage uploaded to social media appeared to show supporters rioting in European cities, trashing and looting local supermarkets as well as destroying traffic lights and smashing up store windows.

In one video, fans could be seen standing on the top of cars and setting Christmas trees on fire, as well as even attacking an ambulance vehicle making its way through the crowd.

Fortunately, things appeared to be much calmer in London in areas such as Edgware, where fans flooded out onto the roads late into the night following their shock success in Qatar. Fans also walked through Oxford Street and Piccadilly Circus chanting, dancing and waving Moroccan flags after the result.

Mass celebrations also took place across various cities in Spain, where an estimated 800,000 people from Morocco currently reside, but it is believed scenes were less violent than what occurred in both Belgium and the Netherlands.

Morocco had reason to celebrate after reaching the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history with a 3-0 penalty shootout victory over 2010 champions Spain, with both sides unable to be separated after 120 minutes of goalless action.

While Abdelhamid Sabiri and Hakim Ziyech scored with their penalties for Morocco, Spain had a torrid time from the 12-yard spot despite Luis Enrique’s insistence that his players had practised taking penalties for the past 12 months.

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Pablo Sarabia hit the post with the first penalty of the shootout before another substitute, Carlos Soler, saw his tame effort kept out by Yassine Bounou. With the score set at 2-0, the experienced Sergio Busquets was denied again by Bounou, diving to his right to keep out the Barcelona stalwart.

That allowed Achraf Hakimi the chance to make himself a hero against the country he had grown up in. The full-back came through Real Madrid’s academy after being born in Madrid to Moroccan parents, but opted to represent the African nation rather than La Roja.

And despite the pressure being lifted onto his young shoulders, the PSG star produced a sublime panenka – a chipped penalty – to deceive Unai Simon and send Morocco into the last eight. They join Ghana, Senegal and Cameroon in being the only African teams to have made it to a World Cup quarter-final and the first nation to do so since 2010. 

Morocco will face Portugal for a place in the semi-finals after Goncalo Ramos inspired them to a 6-1 demolition over Switzerland on Tuesday evening.

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