In a surprising turn of events, Moroccan club Renaissance Berkane has been granted a 3-0 win over USM Alger in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup semi-final, despite the match not taking place due to a kit controversy.
The dispute arose when Algerian customs officials confiscated Berkane's jerseys upon their arrival in Algeria last Friday. The jerseys featured a map of Morocco that included the disputed territory of Western Sahara, which was deemed provocative by Algerian authorities.
In response to the confiscation, Berkane refused to participate in Sunday's scheduled match, leading to its cancellation. While USM Alger took to the field, Berkane remained in their dressing room, resulting in a standoff.
The CAF interclub competitions committee made the decision to award Berkane the victory and referred the case to a disciplinary commission for potential further sanctions. CAF clarified that the decision was made by independent structures and underscored the organization's neutrality in the matter.
Despite the controversy, the second leg of the semi-final is still scheduled to take place in Berkane on Sunday. USM Alger, the current Confederation Cup holders, will face Berkane, a two-time winner of the trophy in 2020 and 2022, in what promises to be an intense encounter.
