The long-running dispute over the winner of this year's Africa Cup of Nations title is set to move closer to resolution. Senegal's appeal against the Confederation of African Football's decision to declare Morocco champions will be heard by the Court of Arbitration in Sport in Lausanne on Thursday. The appeal was lodged on 25 March and follows CAF's Appeal Board ruling that Senegal had forfeited the match by walking off the pitch.
The controversy surrounds the Africa Cup of Nations final held in Rabat, Morocco, on January 18. Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 after extra time, but walked off the pitch for 14 minutes after a penalty was awarded against them late in regulation time. Several players returned to the dressing room in protest before resuming play. Morocco failed to convert the spot kick, sending the match into extra time, where Senegal scored the winner.
Despite the on-field result, CAF's Appeal Board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match, overturning the result and awarding a 3-0 victory to Morocco. Senegal quickly followed with an appeal to CAS, which will hear arguments from Senegal, Morocco, and CAF. A three-man panel, presided over by French civil rights expert Professor Gerald Simon, will listen to the arguments.
The panel will consider Senegal's argument that the Laws of the Game determine the referee's decisions on incidents of play are final and cannot be challenged after the fact. They will also interpret the articles of the tournament regulations on which CAF's Appeals Board ruled in Morocco's favour. These articles state that a team that refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the referee's authorisation shall be considered the loser.
Senegal's lawyers are expected to argue that a temporary departure from the field cannot be equated with abandoning the match. In contrast, Morocco is likely to argue that a team that leaves the field without the referee's authorisation must be considered the loser and definitively eliminated from the competition. The hearing will take place behind closed doors.
The CAS panel will start its deliberations after the hearing, but it is unclear when a final decision will be rendered. CAS stated that the decision will not be made on the date of the hearing. The outcome will have significant implications for the teams involved and the future of the Africa Cup of Nations.
The dispute has been ongoing for several months, with Senegal seeking to be reinstated as winners. The CAS hearing represents a crucial step towards resolving the issue. The panel's decision will be closely watched by fans and officials across Africa and beyond.
Key points
- The CAS hearing will determine whether Senegal or Morocco will be declared the winner of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
- Senegal walked off the pitch for 14 minutes during the final, leading to CAF's decision to award the match to Morocco.
- A three-man panel will hear arguments from Senegal, Morocco, and CAF before making a decision.
