CAF has made a big call, officially announcing the winning team for the CAF Confederation Cup semi-final first leg that was cancelled last weekend.
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On Sunday evening, African football's governing body confirmed that the first leg of the final four clash between USM Alger and RS Berkane had been cancelled.
The reason for the encounter's cancellation was not confirmed by the organisation, but it came off the back of a highly publicised situation that saw the Moroccan outfit's playing kits being confiscated by Algerian authorities upon their arrival into the country ahead of the match.
CAF had approved the usage of Berkane's kits before the season's commencement and maintained its stance when the Algerian Football Federation objected against the Orange Boys wearing the strips in question for the semi-final. By the time the game was supposed to begin, Moine Chaabani's side were still without the jerseys they had originally brought with them, and refused to take to the field without them.
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USM Alger, the reigning competition champions, did make their way on to the Stade du 5 Juillet pitch, but with no opponents in sight, the game was controversially abandoned.
Now, CAF has taken a hard stance on the matter by awarding the Botola Pro side a 3-0 victory for the first leg after Algerian authorities failed to acknowledge the legitimacy of Berkane's kits.
An official statement from the chief institution of African football reads: "During its meeting held on April 24, the Organising Commission for Interclub Competitions and Management of the Club Licensing System has decided as follows: 1. Sanction the USMA Club with a forfeit of 0-3 for match no.129 USMA (Algeria) vs RS Berkane (Morocco) of the TotalEnergies Confederation Cup 2023/2024."
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As per the same statement, USM Alger could face further sanctions, while the second leg of the tie will take place this coming weekend at the Berkane Municipal Stadium as originally planned.
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