There were jubilant scenes on the Champs-Elysees avenue in central Paris on Wednesday as French supporters waved tri colour flags and let off flares to celebrate the win over Morocco that put Les Bleus into the FIFA World Cup final.
There were triumphant scenes on the Champs- Elysees avenue in central Paris on Wednesday as French sympathizers gestured tri colour flags and let off flares to celebrate the palm over Morocco that put Les Bleus into the World Cup final. Some,000 police were mobilised across France to insure there was no uneasiness during and after the match, given the eventuality of clashes between French sympathizers and those backing France’s one- time North African colony. But there was little sign of pressure as sympathizers flocked the end of the avenue leading to the Arc de Triomphe in superheated but largely good- natured scenes with Moroccan sympathizers accepting defeat, AFP reporters said.
“We’re in the final. We’re in the final,” hundreds of French sympathizers chanted as motorists sounded cornucopias an danti-riot police lurked in vans lining the area.
“What pleasure it’ll be to play Argentina in the final,” said Sylvain Badin, 24, clinging a French flag.” I came to partake a moment of joy.”
Dozens of Moroccan suckers had also made themselves heard during the match in the area, dressing themselves in public flags as they followed the match on their phones.
“We lost but it’s only football and we made history by making thesemi-finals. We’re proud of our country and happy for France,” said Kamal Seddiki, a 22- time-old Moroccan pupil.
There were 170 apprehensions nationwide, including further than 100 in Paris, when Morocco and France made thesemi-finals at the weekend.
But fests appeared free of pressure and a Frenchanti-riot police van indeed used one of its enchantresses to mark the moment when Kolo Muani scored the thing to give France a 2- 0 lead.
Police did still move to disperse a group of suckers who were setting off fireworks around the Arc de Triomphe.
And a group of about 40 people aligned with far-right groups were arrested for carrying banned munitions, a police source said, as they prepared to move towards the Champs- Elysees.
“They easily wanted to fight on the Champs,” the police source said.
In the southern megacity of Nice, trash barrels were set on fire after the game in the centre of the megacity where thousands had gathered, an AFP photographer said.
In Lyon, police used tear gas when sympathizers began to let off firecrackers in the central Place Bellecour.
France’s relationship with Morocco isn’t nearly as traumatic as with Algeria, another former colony that fought a bloody seven- time War of Independence that scars both nations to this day.
But as in any post-colonial relationship, Morocco, which won independence in 1956, has its grievances with France, most specially over the question of visas.
Further than a million Moroccans are believed to live in France and security forces had been on alert for any clashes like those in Brussels that marked Morocco’s shock palm over Belgium in the group stages.
“We’re happy for France,” said Hossam Boutalah, 20, with a Moroccan flag on his reverse in the southwestern megacity of Bordeaux where the central forecourt was packed for the match.
“We’re sisters after all, we’re together. It’s our alternate country. Morocco played well and would have merited to score a thing.” Read More FIFA News…
