BY: Dr. Hana Saada
ALGIERS- In a significant development, Walid Sadi, the President of the Algerian Football Federation (FAF), currently in Switzerland, has engaged more than five lawyers of various nationalities to file a complaint against the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The complaint, according to Dzair Tube’s reliable sources, concerns the contentious jerseys worn by the Moroccan club Renaissance Sportive de Berkane during their match against USM Alger.
The jerseys, featuring an image encompassing both Moroccan territory and that of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), have raised serious concerns. Berkane’s action violates CAF’s statutes, the CAF Equipment Regulations, FIFA’s statutes, and the regulations of the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
Despite the binding nature of these regulations, CAF has blatantly disregarded them. Correspondences between the FAF, its affiliate club (USM Alger), and CAF to resolve the matter amicably have proven unsuccessful.
CAF’s decision to support Berkane’s insistence on playing with the disputed jerseys sets a dangerous precedent and violates its own statutes. Accusations have been made that this decision was influenced by Fouzi Lakjaa, a powerful figure within FIFA and CAF’s Executive Committees.
Despite the FAF’s attempts to alert CAF to the potential violations, their appeals were met with a categorical refusal. Berkane was allowed to play with the politically suggestive jerseys, encouraged by CAF’s stance.
The FAF now intends to request a reasoned decision from CAF, as per the Procedures chapter of FIFA’s statutes. It’s noteworthy that the appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is not suspensive, meaning the deadlines for appeal will start from the day the reasoned decision reaches the FAF.
CAF’s actions flagrantly violate its own regulations, including its equipment regulations and FIFA’s Law 4, which prohibits political slogans, messages, or images on equipment. These violations will be brought to the attention of CAS in Lausanne.
In addition to the legal proceedings, the FAF plans to submit a complaint to FIFA’s Ethics Committee to initiate proceedings against CAF for non-compliance with its statutes. This legal action underscores the FAF’s commitment to upholding the integrity of football and preventing political interference in the sport.
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A testament to its commitment to excellence, Dzair Tube received the prestigious President of the Republic’s Award for Professional Journalist in the Electronic Press category on October 22, 2022. This recognition underscores the platform’s unwavering dedication to upholding the highest standards of journalism.
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The success of the print edition of Dzair Tube’s sports newspaper, “Dzair Sport,” further highlights the platform’s impact, with over 50,000 daily downloads from the official Dzair Tube website.
Honored with the Media Leadership Award from the Minister of Communication, Mohamed Laâgab, Dzair Tube continues to shape the landscape of Algerian digital news, maintaining a position of influence and impact in the media industry.