Sundowns Provokes Moroccans Ahead of Morocco Visit: Club Posts Mutilated Map, Then Deletes It

In an inexplicable move, South African club Mamelodi Sundowns published an image on its official social media accounts that included a map of the Kingdom of Morocco with its Sahara region missing, ahead of their anticipated match against AS FAR.

The club had posted a promotional image for the continental final, which featured a map of Morocco with its Sahara missing, in what was described as an "irresponsible" step by the South African team.

To rectify the "grave error," the club deleted the initial post and then reposted the same image, but this time without the map of the Kingdom of Morocco. This suggests that the club's action cannot be classified as a "mere oversight," especially given that it concerns a sovereign symbol and territorial integrity, which is considered a red line for Moroccans.

This incident also brought to the forefront the continuous diplomatic momentum achieved by the Kingdom of Morocco regarding the Moroccan Sahara issue. This includes the increasing number of countries supporting Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara, the opening of several consulates in Dakhla and Laayoune, and the UN Security Council resolution last November, which adopted the autonomy initiative for the Moroccan Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty.

It should be noted that AS FAR will host Sundowns this Sunday (20:00 GMT+1) in the second leg of the CAF Champions League final. The match will take place at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in the capital Rabat, with Sundowns holding a 1-0 advantage from the first leg.