FOOTBALL – CAF CONFEDERATION CUP 2023/24
THE COURT OF ARBITRATION FOR SPORT (CAS) UPHOLDS THE ALGERIAN FOOTBALL FEDERATION (FAF) APPEAL CONCERNING THE SHIRTS OF RS BERKANE
Lausanne, 26 February 2025 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld the appeal by the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) versus the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and Renaissance Sportive de Berkane (RS Berkane) contesting the validation of RS Berkane shirts, which display a map of Morocco including the territory of Western Sahara.
FAF & USM Alger appealed to CAS to annul the decision (‘Contested Decision’) made by the CAF Appeals Jury in April 2024 that maintained an earlier approval of the RS Berkane shirts for the 2023/24 CAF Confederation Cup. The appeal also sought a ruling that the RS Berkane shirt contravenes the laws of the game, CAF regulations and FIFA rules by presenting a political message.
A remote hearing took place on 13 November 2024. During the hearing, it was not disputed by Parties that the RS Berkane shirts displayed a map of Morocco including the territory of Western Sahara that does not correspond to the official map of Morocco as published by the United Nations.
The CAS Panel determined that:
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Only the FAF had exhausted the legal remedies available prior to the CAS appeal, making the USMA appeal inadmissible.
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The image of a map of Morocco including Western Sahara on the shirts of RS Berkane depicts a message, a demonstration or propaganda of a political nature as it represents the assertion of a territorial dispute that is contested and still unresolved as of today.
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In accordance with CAF equipment regulations (article 1.03) and the Laws of the game of the International Football Association Board (Law 4), it is prohibited to convey any content of a political nature on all equipment, including shirts.
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In accordance with CAF Statutes (article 2) and the Regulations Implementing CAF Statutes (article 49), CAF is bound to respect and implement the duty of political neutrality.
The CAS Panel ruled that RS Berkane’s shirts for the 2023/24 CAF Confederation Cup are contrary to CAF regulations, as they display a territorial map that is of a political nature. The Contested Decision by the CAF Appeals Jury to maintain the approval of the shirts is annulled. The appeal filed by FAF is upheld.
The CAS award has no effect on the results of the CAF Confederations Cup 2023/24.
This document is an unofficial summary for media use. Unless the Parties request confidentiality, a full Award with reasons will be published in French on the CAS website in due course.
For further information related to CAS activity and procedures, please contact either Matthieu Reeb, CAS Director General, or Vanessa Tracey, Communications Officer. Palais de Beaulieu, avenue Bergières 10, 1004 Lausanne, Switzerland.
