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The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ruled in favour of the Algerian Football Federation in a dispute over a controversial map on the shirts of Moroccan club Renaissance Berkane during the 2024 CAF Confederation Cup.
The row stemmed from a map of Morocco, which included the disputed Western Sahara region, displayed on Berkane’s jerseys.
The map led to the cancellation of both legs of their semi-final clash with Algerian club USM Alger, which was subsequently expelled from the tournament.
Algeria, which cut diplomatic ties with Morocco in 2021 partly due to the Western Sahara dispute, objected to the inclusion of the territory on Berkane’s shirts.
Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, is largely controlled by Morocco but claimed by the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks its independence.
CAF initially sided with Berkane, arguing that the club had worn the same jerseys throughout the competition. However, the Algerian FA took the case to CAS, which found that the shirts violated regulations.
“The image of a map of Morocco including Western Sahara on the shirts of RS Berkane depicts a message, a demonstration, or propaganda of a political nature as it represents the assertion of a territorial dispute that is contested and still unresolved as of today,” CAS said in its ruling.
The court annulled CAF’s initial approval of the shirts, citing International Football Association Board (IFAB) laws that prohibit political messages on football equipment.
However, CAS confirmed that its decision would not affect the tournament results.
Egypt’s Zamalek eventually won the competition, defeating Berkane on away goals in the final.
