The historic qualification of Morocco’s Atlas Lions for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final ignited celebrations across European cities, but some gatherings of Moroccan expatriates escalated into clashes with police.
The scenes unfolded on Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, 15 January 2026, as fans marked the dramatic penalty shootout victory over Nigeria.
In The Hague, hundreds of young Moroccans took to the streets to celebrate, but the situation quickly slipped out of control. Local reports said some supporters threw fireworks and objects at police, causing major traffic disruption and forcing riot units to intervene to disperse the crowds, leading to at least one arrest.
In France, the tension was even higher, with several cities witnessing scattered incidents of unrest during the celebrations. Security vehicles came under attack with fireworks used as improvised projectiles, prompting anti-crime units to respond with force, making multiple arrests and reporting minor injuries and material damage among officers.
Despite these isolated confrontations, a mood of euphoria dominated most major gatherings of Moroccan communities abroad.
The celebrations reflected immense pride in seeing the Atlas Lions return to an AFCON final for the first time since 2004, after an epic battle with Nigeria decided from the spot.
