CAF Cup Semi-Final Canceled Over Morocco-Algeria Jersey Dispute

The dispute over the jersey containing a map of Morocco integrating the Sahara worn by the Moroccan players has ultimately led to the cancellation of the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup semi-finals scheduled for Sunday evening between the Algerian team USM Alger and the Moroccan team RS Berkane. The match between the two clubs will ultimately not take place this Sunday at 8 p.m., reports the Qatari channel BeIn Sports.

It all started with the arrival of the Moroccan technical staff and players at Houari Boumediene Airport in Algeria on Friday. They were blocked for hours because they had refused to separate from their jerseys containing a map of Morocco integrating the Sahara or to cover them with stickers. Faced with the refusal of the Moroccans, the security forces confiscated the outfits before forcing the Moroccan delegation to join the hotel that was to accommodate them "manu militari". The Algerian authorities promised the Moroccan delegation that it would recover the confiscated jerseys on Saturday at the hotel where it is staying. A promise that had not been kept. On Radio Mars, Mohamed Tlaghi, a member of the Berkane delegation, warned: "That being said, and if this commitment is not honored, the club has decided to take the road back to the airport and, if necessary, to Morocco".

While the CAF had stressed on Saturday that RS Berkane had been playing in its jersey containing the map of Morocco integrating the Sahara since the start of the tournament, rejected an appeal by the Algerian Football Federation, and all other appeals or requests, the boss of Algerian football Wafi Sadi announced the provision of the Moroccan team with "high quality jerseys", without the map of Morocco. Not enough to satisfy the Moroccan club. "There will be no debate on this subject. No match without jerseys emblazoned with the complete map of the Kingdom of Morocco," hammered Hakim Benabdellah, president of the Moroccan club, quoted by Hespress.

Dissatisfied with the CAF’s decision, the president of the Algerian Football Federation announced that he would refer the case to the international sports tribunal. "Our position is clear, we will not back down and we are ready for anything," added Wafi Sadi.