In a surprising turn of events, Moroccan club Renaissance Berkane has been granted a 3-0 victory over USM Alger in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup semi-final, despite the match not occurring due to a kit controversy.

The controversy erupted when Algerian customs officials seized Berkane's jerseys upon their arrival in Algeria last Friday.

The jerseys displayed a map of Morocco, including the disputed territory of Western Sahara, which was deemed provocative by Algerian authorities.

In response, Berkane refused to participate in the scheduled match on Sunday, resulting in its cancellation.

While USM Alger took to the field, Berkane remained in their dressing room.

The CAF interclub competitions committee decided to award Berkane the victory and referred the case to a disciplinary commission for potential additional penalties.

CAF clarified that the decision was made by independent structures and stressed the organization's neutrality in the matter.

The semi-final's second leg is set to occur in Berkane on Sunday.

USM Alger, the reigning Confederation Cup champions, will face Berkane, winners of the trophy in 2020 and 2022.