The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decided to grant Moroccan club Renaissance Sportive de Berkane (RS Berkane) a 3-0 victory over hosts USM Alger (USMA) in the first leg of their African Confederation Cup semifinal. CAF’s Interclub Competitions Committee and Club Licensing System Management will also refer the case to the Disciplinary Board for potential additional penalties.

Despite the forfeiture, the second leg is set to proceed at the Berkane Municipal Stadium as planned on April 28, 2024.

The initial match couldn’t commence as RS Berkane refused to leave the changing rooms for kick-off due to Algerian customs confiscating their kits upon their arrival two days earlier. The kits, which feature a small map of Morocco on the chest area including the disputed territory of Western Sahara, were considered politically sensitive by Algerian authorities.

This incident underscores the ongoing tensions between the neighboring North African nations, with the Western Sahara dispute serving as a focal point. The area has been a source of contention since Morocco’s annexation in 1975, with a portion controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and the rest by Morocco.

Such diplomatic disputes have also spilled over into sports previously, with last year’s African Nations Championship witnessing Morocco’s withdrawal after being denied direct entry by chartered flight by Algeria, the host nation. Additionally, since August 2021, Moroccan aircraft have been barred from Algerian airspace, and the border between the two countries remains closed.