CAF Cup: RS Berkane banned from entering Algeria because of the map of Morocco with its Sahara

Obviously accustomed to going off the road, the military junta that rules Algeria has once again made headlines. And, as always, for bad. By prohibiting the entry into its territory of the delegation of the Berkane Sports Renaissance, the Algerian leaders have proven, if it was still necessary, their visceral malevolence against Morocco.

Traveling to Algiers, to play the semi-final first leg of the African Football Confederation Cup (CAF) against the club of the Algiers Medina Sports Union (USMA), scheduled for Sunday April 21, the Renaissance sportive from Berkane was banned from entering Algerian territory.

The Algerian authorities must have had difficulty appreciating that the Moroccan players wore outfits bearing the map of the Kingdom, with its Sahara. The players and the delegation accompanying them were therefore detained at Houari Boumédiène international airport in Algiers. Algerian authorities blocked Berkane’s team at the airport for hours, even seizing their football equipment and uniforms.
The delegation had obtained authorization to travel to Algiers on a Spanish plane, thus circumventing the access restrictions imposed by Algeria on Moroccan flights.

Once again, this incident highlights Algeria’s persistent tensions towards Morocco, in particular Algeria’s ban on Moroccan flights since September 2021, which creates recurring problems during sporting events and other meetings between the two countries.