Moroccan club awarded 3-0 win after kit controversy with USM Alger

Moroccan football club Renaissance Berkane has been awarded a 3-0 win over USM Alger in the first leg of their Caf Confederation Cup semi-final after refusing to play when their kit was confiscated by Algerian customs officials. The kit in question featured an extended map of Morocco, including the disputed territory of Western Sahara, which Algeria deemed a political provocation.

The incident occurred last Friday when Berkane arrived in Algeria for the match. The hosts, USM Alger, took to the field as scheduled, but Berkane remained in their dressing room, leading to the match being called off. Berkane has been using the same jersey throughout this season’s competition and in previous continental campaigns.

The Confederation of African Football’s interclub competitions committee made the decision to award Berkane the victory and has referred the case to a disciplinary commission for further sanctions if necessary. A Caf spokesperson clarified that the matter was handled by independent structures separate from the governing body’s administration.

The second leg of the semi-final is scheduled to take place in Berkane on Sunday. USM Alger are the current holders of the Confederation Cup, while Berkane claimed the trophy in 2020 and 2022.

The incident highlights the ongoing territorial dispute between Morocco and the indigenous Sahrawi people over Western Sahara. The region has been a point of contention since Morocco laid claim to it in 1957 and annexed it in 1975. The Polisario Front, representing the Sahrawi people, declared the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1976, leading to a long-standing conflict that was temporarily resolved with a UN-brokered truce in 1991.