Algeria vs Morocco: Tensions Rise over Football Jerseys

A football match risks heightening tensions between Algeria and Morocco. The turmoil was caused by the RSB Berkane team jersey, in which they were to face USM Alger in the semi-finals of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup, the second most important club tournament in Africa.

The Moroccan team’s jerseys feature a map in the center of the chest, between the technical sponsor and the club’s crest, showing not Morocco’s official borders (recognized by the UN), but the one that includes Western Sahara. The Algerian authorities banned the jersey, so the Moroccan team did not take the field.

The Algerian football league immediately issued a statement: “The Professional Football League, led by Mohamed Amine Meslouk, responsible for the management of the League, reaffirms the solidarity and full support of the Union of Algeria and expresses its willingness to support the club in any decision taken to preserve the interests of the team and Algeria, against all attempts to deviate from international football laws and rules and against the use of totally unjustifiable methods. The Association emphasizes the total rejection of any form of violation of national sovereignty, whatever its nature or source.”

The former Spanish colony of Western Sahara, a desert area potentially rich in mineral resources, was partially annexed by Morocco in 1975. The other part of the territory is controlled by the Polisario Front. This armed organization claims the right of Western Sahara to self-determination. It is based in Tindouf, western Algeria, where Saharawi refugees have found shelter. It is the Polisario Front and the Western Sahara issue that is the main reason for the severing of diplomatic relations between Algeria and Morocco in August 2021.