Algeria Football– Sports journalist Farid Maataoui recently expressed his outrage over an ongoing controversy involving Algerian and Moroccan clubs in African competitions. In a statement, he criticized the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) for its lack of anticipation and firmness regarding RS Berkane's repeated use of a controversial jersey including a map of Morocco incorporating Western Sahara. A situation which, according to him, could have been avoided if appropriate measures had been taken before the match between USM Alger (USMA) and RS Berkane in April 2024, as part of the African Confederation Cup (CAF).
Maataoui recalled that this jersey had already caused tensions and that it continues to be used in the new edition of the competition, with the approval of CAF. “We don't mess with our principles, as Algerians, and we will never change,” he insisted, while emphasizing that the FAF should have been proactive in defending national interests. Faced with this recurring problem, he proposed a bold idea: that the USMA, or any other Algerian club faced with a Moroccan team in a similar situation, play with a jersey displaying a sponsor linked to Western Sahara and including a map of this territory. A symbolic response aimed at highlighting this political and sporting dispute.
However, Maataoui acknowledges that this suggestion could exacerbate tensions, particularly because the question of Western Sahara is currently being studied by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne. “Certainly, the CAS is studying this thorny issue and has still not delivered a verdict, but if before their verdict, a club from Algeria finds itself confronted with a club from Morocco, what are we going to do?” he asked himself.
This question raises important issues for Algerian clubs. Forfeiting for political reasons would be a decision with serious consequences, both sportingly and in terms of image. But agreeing to play in such conditions would, according to some, amount to abandoning fundamental principles. While CAF seems to ignore these issues, the FAF will soon have to decide between the defense of national values and the need to remain competitive on the African scene. A complex equation which, for the moment, remains without a definitive answer.
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