CAF Approves Moroccan Club’s Jersey with Full Map, Defying Algerian Objections

Algeria has definitively lost its battle against Morocco. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially approved the jersey of Renaissance Sportive de Berkane (RSB) with the complete map of Morocco for the 2024-2025 season. Consequence: Algerian clubs could be directly eliminated from African competitions if they face the Renaissance de Berkane club. A new setback for Algiers, which unilaterally broke off its diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021, notably because of the Sahara issue.

At the end of April, CAF had imposed heavy sanctions on Algeria due to the cancellation of the first leg of the Confederation Cup semi-finals to be played between the Moroccan club Renaissance de Berkane and the Union Sportive de la Médina d’Alger on Sunday, April 21, 2024, because of the jersey of the Atlas Lions containing a map of the kingdom including the Sahara. Algiers had expressed its opposition to the Moroccan jersey.

The Algerian authorities had confiscated the jerseys of the Renaissance de Berkane team bearing the map of Morocco during the first leg match. This was followed by a major crisis and the forfeit of USM Alger in the return match in Berkane, with a heavy 6-0 defeat by decision of CAF.