A few minutes ago, the CAF declared Moroccan club Nahda Berkane as the winner of its controversial match against Algerian club Union of the Capital (USMA), with a 3-0 win.
The Legal Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) met to review the reports brought forth by the referees and the match’s observer. After evaluating the underlying reasons for the cancellation, the committee concluded that Nahda Berkane deserved their victory and decided to proceed with the return match in Morocco as scheduled.
An in-depth look at the match referee’s report – which detailed the reasons for the cancellation – was examined by Committee officials during this meeting. This report contained all circumstances surrounding the match including details from the pre-match technical meeting and changing room interactions.
Club Nahda Berkane, however, has stubbornly maintained its position regarding their inability to participate in the initial encounter at the July 5 Stadium. This came to light due to the confiscation of their official kits as soon as they arrived to Algeria, approved by the African Union and worn during previous Confederation Cup competitions throughout this season, both within and outside Morocco, with no objections previously raised.
The story kicked off last Friday when Algerian customs confiscated Nahda Berkane’s luggage at Houari Boumediene Airport because it contained shirts adorned with the Moroccan map. These shirts are the official representative shirts approved by the CAF during matches of the African Confederation Cup for this season. The Moroccan club’s mission was stuck at the airport for several hours before they received reassurances from the CAF and left. However, the following day, authorities refused to return Berkane’s luggage, and the Algerian Football Federation substituted them with counterfeit jerseys which were then rejected by the match observer for non-compliance with CAF regulations.
