CAF Bans Political Symbols on Soccer Jerseys Following Court Ruling

In its decision, the Court of Arbitration for Sport stated that the regulations of CAF and FIFA insist on the principle of political neutrality, which requires the confederation to ensure the strict application of this principle. In accordance with Article 48, paragraph 6, of its statutes, this decision is binding on all member clubs and federations. In compliance with this decision, CAF has published an official circular prohibiting the use of any symbol or sign of a political nature on jerseys during its competitions.

CAF specifies that any jersey bearing political messages, slogans or maps will not be authorized in its competitions, and that its member associations must ensure that their equipment complies with these rules by having it validated before the competitions. In the event of a violation of this decision, the governing body of African football will be entitled to prohibit clubs from wearing the non-compliant jerseys or to require their modification.

On April 21, 2024, the CAF Cup semi-final between RS Berkane and USM Alger had been canceled in Algeria, due to a dispute over the jersey containing a map of Morocco including the Sahara worn by the Moroccan players.