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French officials have pleaded with soccer supporters to behave with decorum as the national squad prepares for Thursday's World Cup quarterfinal against Morocco, the reigning champions of Africa, following a history of volatile post-match disruptions.
Morocco won independence from France in 1956 and has a mostly settled relationship with the former colonial power, which is home to hundreds of thousands of Moroccans or French citizens of Moroccan descent.
Several members of Morocco's national team were born in France and play for French clubs. Team captain Achraf Hakimi was born in Spain but plays for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Celebrations were mostly peaceful when France beat Morocco in the 2022 World Cup semifinal.
But security forces are to be on alert around France during the game today.
"I appeal to everyone's sense of responsibility. It has to remain a celebration," Sports Minister Marina Ferrari told the France Info broadcaster. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has said that misconduct would not be tolerated.
After the PSG beat Arsenal in the Champions League final in May, Paris police took 225 adults into custody, charging around half of them with offenses including confronting the police and material damage, the city's top prosecutor said.
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