BRUSSELS — The atmosphere at Le Stalingrad tea salon in Brussels is electric, full of supporters packed shoulder-to-shoulder, with Arabic commentary blaring from the televisions and every chance greeted by deafening reactions.
The crowd has erupted each time Morocco held firm defensively, but the loudest roar of the night (so far) came when France’s Kylian Mbappé missed a penalty, sending the tea shop into a frenzy of cheers and chants of “Bouno!” — the Moroccan goalkeeper’s last name.
Not every ovation was football-related: fans also burst into applause when pop star Shakira appeared on the stadium screens during the broadcast.
For some supporters, however, the evening carries significance beyond full-time. “It would be a shame if there was violence after this game,” said Moroccan native Adil, 23, recalling the unrest that followed his country’s World Cup victory over Belgium four years ago. “It was terrible.”
Whatever the outcome against France, Adil said he would continue supporting Belgium in the tournament if Morocco is eliminated.
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