African football authorities penalize Algerian club after Moroccan jersey dispute

The Confederation of African Football have handed Algerian club USM Alger a forfeit against Moroccan club RS Berkane, after the cancelled match between the two teams. The decision comes in the wake of a dispute over Berkane’s shirt which features a map of Morocco including the disputed region of Western Sahara. Algerian officials confiscated the jerseys when the Moroccan club arrived in Algiers, preventing Berkane from taking the field in the CAF Confederation semifinal match Sunday. 

According to a statement from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, CAF decided to penalize the Algerian club with a forfeit of 0-3 and to maintain the return match at the municipal stadium of Berkane next Sunday.”

The apparent politicization of sport and the map dispute spread this week as the Algerian under 17 handball team withdrew from the Arab Championship in protest at the Moroccan team’s shirt bearing a similar map. Algeria was to play Morocco Tuesday in the third day of the tournament.

The first leg of the CAF confederation semi-final between Moroccan team RS Berkane and USM Alger failed to go head Sunday.