The first leg of the Caf Confederation Cup semi-final between USM
Alger and Renaissance Berkane did not take place on Sunday because of a
row over the visiting side's shirt.
Berkane's strip features an extended map of Morocco, which includes the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
Algeria
sees the map, which is displayed in the centre of the shirt, as a
provocation and customs officials confiscated the kit when the Moroccan
club arrived in the country on Friday.
But Berkane have used the
same jersey throughout this season's competition - as well as a similar
design in previous continental campaigns - and the Confederation of
African Football (Caf) upheld their right to wear it in Algiers after a
hastily-convened meeting of its inter-clubs committee.
Both sides
travelled to the stadium for the match and USM Alger came out for
kick-off, but the visitors remained in their dressing room.
A Caf statement, external said the matter "will be referred to the competent bodies".
The governing body also issued an apology to sponsors, TV partners and supporters for any inconvenience caused.
USM
Alger are the holders of the Confederation Cup, which was the
second-tier continental competition before the introduction of the
Africa Football League, while Berkane lifted the trophy in 2020 and
2022.
The second leg of the semi-final is scheduled to be held in Berkane on Sunday, 28 April.
Frosty neighbours
Tensions between Algeria and Morocco have been strained for many years, with Algeria severing diplomatic ties in 2021.
The
political spat caused Morocco to pull out of last year's African
Nations Championship, which was hosted in Algeria, after being denied
permission to fly direct from Rabat.
Morocco laid claim to
Western Sahara in 1957, when it was still under Spanish colonial rule,
and then annexed the territory in 1975.
Sparsely populated but
with phosphate reserves and rich fishing grounds, it has been the
subject of a long-running territorial dispute between Morocco and its
indigenous Sahrawi people, led by the Polisario Front.
The Polisario Front declared the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, with a government in exile in Algeria, in 1976.
A 16-year-long insurgency ended with a UN-brokered truce in 1991.
Source: BBC
