Berkane Sports Renaissance banned from entering Algeria because of Morocco Map on its jerseys

A professional Morrocan football team was barred from entering Algeria because of their jerseys had a map of Morocco emblazoned on them at the weekend.

The Renaissance Sportive of Berkane travelled to Algiers to play the first leg of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup semi-final against the Union Sportive de la Medina Alger (USMA) club, scheduled for Sunday, April 21.

However, upon arrival, the team was refused entry into Algerian territory.

Uusually, rather than taking a direct flight, Renaissance Sportive of Berkane mission has had to rent a private plane from a specialised Spanish company ‘’AlbaStar” because Algeria doesn’t allow Moroccan planes to land on Algerian soil.

This flight restriction made the trip extremely tiring for the Renaissance Sportive of Berkane, and not being allowed into the country added to their woes.

The controversial decision to block the team at the airport was linked to the fact that the Moroccan players wore outfits emblazoning the map of Morocco with its southern provinces.

This was seen as a provocation by the Algerian authorities, who detained the players and delegation at Algiers Houari Boumediene International Airport for so called “further inspection”.

At the moment, the Moroccan representatives at the Confederation of African Football Cup find themselves in a delicate situation, being subject to waiting for possible instructions from the Algerian authorities.

This incident highlighted the persistent tensions between the two countries with regrettable consequences for the world of sport in Africa. The North African neighbours are locked in a bitter rivalry over the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

CAF, under the leadership of Patrice Motsepe, which has allowed the Renaissance of Berkane to play with its official jersey with the map of the Kingdom of Morocco, responded swiftly.

The CAF impressed on the Algerian Federation that if the players, technical staff and all components of the Renaissance team were not allowed to leave the airport and go to the hotel, and if their jerseys remained retained, the team would return the following day to Morocco.

And there is the possibility that the Algerian side could be sanctioned.