CAF Confederation Cup
Confederation Cup runs into crisis as Moroccan players of RS Berkane are stranded at Algerian airport following seizure of jerseys and equipment
Algerian authorities have reportedly confiscated the Morocco’s RS Berkane’s equipment due to the jerseys’ depicting a complete map of Morocco with the southern provinces.
Officials of Morocco’s RS Berkane club delegation, stranded at Houari Boumediene Airport in Algiers, have demanded the return of their jerseys and sports equipment confiscated by Algerian security forces before entering Algerian territory, Moroccan outlet Le360 reported.
According to Morocco World News, this development comes after RS Berkane was denied entry into Algeria Friday morning because their jerseys displayed a complete map of Morocco, including its southern provinces.
The team was then left stranded at Houari Boumediene Airport, with images circulating online showing RS Berkane players performing Friday prayer at the airport.
The outlet quoted a source close to the team as saying that its officials threatened not to participate in the upcoming CAF Confederation Cup semi-finals against Algerian club Union Sportive Medina d’Alger if Algerian security authorities refuse to return their equipment.
The move is part of a broader trend of Algeria’s attempts to undermine Morocco diplomatically, particularly in the Western Sahara issue.
Later today, a meeting took place between representatives of Union Sportive Medina d’Alger and RS Berkane, along with delegates from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
However, RS Berkane officials were “compelled” to withdraw from the meeting after Algerian security forces forcibly entered the venue, Le360 reported.
According to the same source, RS Berkane officials were surprised by the security forces’ intrusion into the meeting, which disrupted the planned discussions. They refused to carry on with the meeting due to the presence of security officials, especially since the meeting was solely focused on sports affairs.
Le360 added that Algerian authorities demanded that RS Berkane place stickers on the player’s jerseys to cover up the full map of Morocco as a condition to enter Algerian territory. However, the Moroccan team’s officials strongly rejected the proposal, considering it absurd and inappropriate.
After Nigeria and Benin have been drawn together together in the 2026 World Cup qualifying as well as that of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, another CAF draw has pitched the two teams together.
El-Kanemi will face Dadje of Benin Republic in the opening round of the CAF Confederation Cup. Nigeria’s second team, Enyimba FC are exempted from the first round.
The eight time Nigerian champions will face the winner of Hafia versus Rahimo of Burkina Faso.
CAF Confederation Cup
Enyimba exempted from Preliminary round as El-Kanemi fall in Pot 1 of Confederation Cup draw
Enyimba FC have drawn bye in the preliminary stage of the CAF Confederation Cup which draw will hold in Cairo on Thursday. The Nigerian team is among the 12 highest ranked teams in the competition.
Nigeria’s other representative are in Pot 1 along with 12 other clubs. The CAF Confederation Cup have 52 clubs representing 41 countries.
After the 12 exempted clubs, the remaining 40 clubs shall play in the preliminary round which consist of three ranked clubs and 37 non-ranked clubs according to the official clubs ranking.
Three pots of the 37 non-ranked teams are created considering their geographical proximity. The exempted teams and the ranked teams are distributed geographically.
CAF Confederation Cup
EXCLUSIVE! Abia Warriors’ Federation Cup loss saves Enyimba from CAF Confederation Cup disqualification
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Had Abia Warriors won the President Federation Cup in tie with El-Kanemi Warriors on Saturday, Enyimba FC would have been disqualified from the CAF Confederation Cup.
Entry for the registration for both Confederation Cup and the CAF Champions League close this Sunday.
Sources at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) informed Sports Village Square that the eligibility code for any of the inter-clubs competitions, does not allow two clubs owned fully or partially by the same person or body to feature in the same competition.
Both Enyimba FC and Abia Warriors are known to be owned and funded by the Abia State Government.
Had Abia Warriors prevailed over El-Kanemi, they too, like Enyimba would have qualified for the Confederation Cup.
Like in UEFA clubs competitions, CAF would not have allowed teams owned fully or partially by the same body to feature in the same competition. In this case, the CAF Confederation Cup.
It would be a different issue, if one of the two were to be competing in the Champions League and the other in the Confederation Cup.
This is stated in Section L.03 of Article 55 of the CAF Men’s Licensing Regulations (2022 edition).
In accordance with the Regulations of CAF Confederation Cup which give precedence to the national cup winner over the third placed teams of the league in case of countries that qualified to enter two teams, the sacrificial lamb would have been Enyimba, whose position would have been taken by the next available team, Shooting Stars who placed fourth on the log.
It was partly in accordance to the Section IV of the CAF Confederation Cup Regulations (ENGAGEMENTS) that enabled the fourth placed Kwara United engaged in the 2022 edition as the entry closed while the Nigerian national cup was still at the quarter-final stage.
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