In Nice, fans improvise to watch France v Morocco, then celebrate | OneFootball

On Thursday by the Baie des Anges, and before a remembrance for the 10th anniversary of the Nice attack, fans improvised to watch the World Cup quarter-final between France and Morocco as bars overflowed. Many followed on phones along the Promenade des Anglais and the beach.

As Cours Saleya filled, the flower market became an open-air fan zone for locals and tourists. According to L'Équipe, Pascal, 73, sold flags, 2 euros for small and 10 for large, and said business kept picking up.

With demand surging, most bars were full an hour before kick-off, including Jacques en terrasse. Morocco fan Nadir, 26, with his wife and a friend, ended up in a restaurant not showing the game, following on delay by about 30 seconds, so Mbappé’s penalty still arrived as welcome news.

Authorities were vigilant after crowd surges three and a half years earlier, with national police backed by CRS and Operation Sentinelle patrols. With TVs angled indoors, many grabbed glimpses or sat on the Prom’s blue chairs, said Aurélien Gerber, 22, who found everything booked by afternoon and plugged his ears for the penalty as a Morocco fan leapt nearby.

The roars for the two French goals swept the seafront. By 23:45, no major incident had been noted.

Fans drifted towards Place Masséna and planned to meet again for the final. For that match, the city of Nice would set up a fan zone on the Promenade du Paillon by the water mirror.

Source: L'Équipe