Wed, May 01, 2024 page7

• Soccer jersey in demand after spat

  • AFP, BERKANE, Morocco
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  A soccer jersey carrying a national map including disputed Western Sahara has become a hot commodity in Morocco after a diplomatic dispute with Algeria.

  Retailers said RS Berkane jerseys have been flying off the shelves after a Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup match against Algerian club USM Alger was canceled last month over the jerseys.

  “We are overwhelmed by the influx of messages and requests,” said Brahim Rabii, representative of the official RS Berkane jersey distributor.

  

  A supporter of RS Berkane looks at the team’s jersey at a shop in Berkane, Morocco, on Friday last week.

  Photo: AFP

  Algeria broke off diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021, partly over the issue of Western Sahara.

  The former Spanish colony is largely controlled by Morocco, but claimed by the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks the territory’s independence.

  When RS Berkane landed in Algiers last month to take on USM Alger in the first leg of the CAF Cup semi-finals, Algerian customs confiscated the jerseys because they feature the map.

  The Moroccan club refused to take the field without the jerseys and so the match was canceled.

  On Sunday night, the return game at Berkane — a province bordering Algeria — was also canceled after USM Alger withdrew, also over the jerseys, giving the Moroccan side direct qualification for the Cup final against Egyptian giants Zamalek.

  “Moroccans show an overwhelming passion for the Berkane team jerseys,” Rabii said.

  “Their fervor does not tolerate any attack on the homeland or national territory,” he added, referring to Western Sahara, which the UN considers as a “non-autonomous territory.”

  The demand has “significantly increased in all [Moroccan] cities and even abroad,” said Soufiane al-Korchi, another representative of the jersey distributor.

  After Algerian customs confiscated the jerseys in Algiers on April 19, Algerian Football Federation president Walid Sadi said the Moroccan team would be given “high-quality jerseys” instead — ones without the map.

  RS Berkane turned down the offer, leading to the cancelation of the first game.

  This had “an unexpected effect,” said Toufiq Jouit, a RS Berkane supporter interviewed at a club store, where the jerseys are sold for 200 dirhams (US$19.80).

  “The incident pushed the jersey to the forefront of the international scene, arousing high interest among football fans,” Jouit said.

  The “map has been part of the official design for three years,” al-Korchi said.

  “It’s not a novelty, but rather an identity element that has accompanied the club for several years,” he said.

  The CAF awarded RS Berkane a 3-0 victory for both legs of the semi-final.

  The Algerian Football Federation then lodged an appeal against CAF’s decision with international sport’s top court, the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.

  It argued that the Cairo-based body had made a mistake by “validating the request of the Moroccan club, RS Berkane, to wear a shirt with a political message.”

  RS Berkane coach Mouine Chaabani regretted the cancelation of the two games.

  “It’s been almost 20 days since we played any matches,” he said. “We will compensate with training, although nothing replaces competition.”
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