Moroccan Team Wins by Default After Jersey Seizure Sparks Diplomatic Row

Casablanca, Morocco – In a dramatic turn of events in African football, Moroccan club Renaissance Berkane was granted a 3-0 win over USM Alger in their CAF Confederation Cup semi-final match, despite not playing due to a controversy over their team jerseys.

The jerseys featured a map including the disputed territory of Western Sahara, leading to their confiscation by Algerian customs officials upon the team's arrival.

The decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has added fuel to the longstanding political tensions between Morocco and Algeria, especially concerning the Western Sahara dispute.

The first leg of the semi-final, scheduled to take place in Algeria, saw the host team, USM Alger, ready on the field while Berkane players remained in their dressing room, resulting in the match being called off.

This particular jersey design by Berkane has been used throughout the current season and in previous tournaments, but its depiction of an extended Moroccan map, including Western Sahara, was seen by Algerian officials as a political provocation.

A CAF spokesperson stated that the matter was handled by "competent structures that are independent of the administration" of the governing body, implying a judicial approach to the decision which remains largely unexplained publicly.

The case has since been referred to a disciplinary commission for potential additional sanctions.

The incident underscores deeper diplomatic rifts, with Algeria and Morocco having severed ties in 2021.

This fallout was previously highlighted when Morocco withdrew from last year’s African Nations Championship in Algeria, citing travel restrictions.

The Western Sahara territory, rich in phosphate and fishing resources, has been a contentious area since Morocco laid claim to it in 1957 under Spanish rule, and annexed it in 1975.

This has led to prolonged conflicts with the indigenous Sahrawi people and their representative group, the Polisario Front, which proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1976, backed by a government in exile in Algeria.

The second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup semi-final is scheduled to be held in Berkane, Morocco. While Renaissance Berkane aims to capitalize on their default victory, USM Alger, the current cup holders, face an uphill battle.

This sporting dispute continues to mirror the frosty political relations between the two North African neighbors, reflecting broader regional tensions within international sports events.