Several hundred Moroccan football fans gathered in the Schilderswijk district of The Hague on Tuesday morning. They celebrated their team’s World Cup victory over the Netherlands. Morocco defeated the Dutch national team on penalties in Mexico to advance to the final 16 of the tournament.
Celebrations in the capital
Supporters set off fireworks and carried Moroccan flags through the streets. Drivers honked their car horns while people hugged and danced to celebrate the win. The police maintained a highly visible presence in the area to monitor the crowd.
Fans watched the match in various local cafés and along the nearby Marktweg. Local residents traditionally decorate the Marktweg in orange for every tournament that the Dutch team plays in. Street celebrations following Moroccan football victories have become a regular tradition in the Schilderswijk. However, these gatherings have occasionally led to unrest and confrontations with law enforcement in the past.
Contrasting reactions across the country
The defeat triggered completely different reactions across the rest of the country. Millions of Dutch fans faced profound disappointment as public viewing areas across Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Leeuwarden emptied in silence. The loss instantly reignited the country’s historic penalty trauma, leaving the public to mourn an early exit from the tournament.
While the loss brought quiet devastation to Dutch supporters, it sparked intense celebrations across several major cities. Beyond The Hague, large groups of celebratory Moroccan-Dutch fans flooded the streets in Rotterdam, Amsterdam Nieuw-West, Utrecht, and Amersfoort. While many of these gatherings remained peaceful, the festive atmosphere turned tense in specific urban areas. In Rotterdam, riot police eventually cleared the streets after crowds refused to disperse, while local politicians across the country criticized the public disturbances.
@ anp | NEWS BRAINPORT
