A contentious soccer politics dispute between Algeria and Morocco has escalated, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announcing that the issue regarding a disputed Western Sahara map on a team jersey worn by Moroccan club RS Berkane will proceed to a full appeal hearing. The dispute, which has drawn international attention, centers on the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to permit RS Berkane to don the controversial jersey, sparking outrage from the Algerian soccer federation and USM Alger club.
The disagreement has cast a shadow over the CAF Confederation Cup semi-final games, leading to match disruptions and default wins awarded to Berkane by CAF after Algerian authorities seized the Moroccan team’s uniforms at the airport. Despite an urgent appeal by Algeria to suspend CAF’s ruling on the jersey, the sports court in Lausanne, Switzerland, denied the request, prompting further tensions between the two sides.
In a defiant stance, USM Alger refused to participate in the second leg of the semi-final against Berkane unless the Moroccan club refrained from wearing the contentious jerseys. This decision resulted in CAF awarding another default win to Berkane, exacerbating the ongoing dispute.
The CAS disclosed that the full appeal hearing will involve both parties exchanging written submissions, with no set timetable for appointing a panel of judges or scheduling a hearing date. However, the outcome of the appeal may impact the scheduled final games involving Berkane and Zamalek of Egypt.
The appeal targets CAF, the Moroccan soccer federation, and RS Berkane, with FIFA Council member Fouzi Lekjaa holding influential positions within both the Moroccan federation and the Berkane club, further complicating the matter.
The dispute over the jersey underscores the longstanding political tensions surrounding Western Sahara, a region annexed by Morocco in 1975, which remains a point of contention between Morocco and the pro-independence Polisario Front, supported by Algeria. Diplomatic relations between Algeria and Morocco were severed in 2021, further complicating the resolution of the dispute and underscoring its broader geopolitical implications.
