CAIRO, Egypt: Morocco’s Renaissance Berkane were Wednesday declared a 3-0 winner over Algerian rivals USM Alger in their African Confederation Cup semi-final game after the match was called off over a playing jerseys row.
According to a letter sent by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to the Algerian Football Federation, the CAF has decided “to sanction USM Alger with a 0-3 forfeit for the USM Alger vs RS Berkane match.”
The controversy started last Friday morning when the Moroccan national team entered Algeria before the draw in the first leg.
Customs officers confiscated Berkane’s shirt for having a map of Morocco that includes the disputed Western Sahara.
Just before kick-off on Sunday, Toufik Korichi, the USM Alger sporting director, told Algerian radio that the match would not be played because Berkane refused to take to the pitch in any other shirts.
The former Spanish colony of Western Sahara is largely controlled by Morocco, but the Algerian-backed Polisario Front has a claim on it and is seeking independence for the territory.
Algeria cut diplomatic ties with Morocco in 2021, partly because of this issue.
