Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – After being stranded for hours at the Houari Boumediene Airport in Algiers, officials from the RS Berkane football club complied with the request of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to vacate the airport premises late Friday night, Le360 reported.
The outlet quoted a source close to RS Berkane as saying that the club agreed to adhere to CAF’s request and return to their hotel in hopes of securing their full sports equipment by Saturday morning, before the team’s training session in Algiers.
Their equipment was confiscated by Algerian security forces due to the jerseys featuring the full map of Morocco, including the country’s southern provinces. This happened after they landed in Algiers Friday noon following a direct flight from Oujda.
The move is part of Algeria’s long-standing pattern of undermining Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara and supporting the Polisario Front separatist movement.
Photos shared online showed the Moroccan delegation stuck at the airport for the whole day as the team was forced to perform Friday prayers and conduct a training session within the confines of the airport to shake off fatigue caused by the prolonged ordeal.
According to Le360, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) is closely monitoring the situation, with plans to provide a private plane to repatriate the RS Berkane delegation to Morocco if they do not receive their jerseys containing the complete map of Morocco.
The same source added that the RS Berkane delegation was verbally abused by Algerian security authorities, who followed them to their accommodation in downtown Algiers.
A widely shared video showed Algerian authorities using force to remove RS Berkane players and officials from the airport.
A senior Algerian police official reportedly threatened the RS Berkane delegation with xenophobic remarks, stating: “We don’t want you in our country, go back where you came from,” according to Le360.
RS Berkane will take on Algerian club USM Alger in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup semi-final on Sunday evening.
