The long-running dispute over the winner of this year's Africa Cup of Nations title is set to move closer to resolution as 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. Senegal was stripped of the title after Caf's Appeal Board ruled that they had forfeited the match by walking off the pitch.
The controversy began in January when Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final in Rabat, 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. However, Caf later overturned the result, awarding a 3-0 victory to Morocco.
Senegal lodged an appeal with Cas on March 25, which will be heard by a panel presided over by French civil rights expert Professor Gerald Simon. The panel will also include Italian international law professor Luigi Fumagalli and Hamburg-based attorney and professor at law at the University of Zurich Ulrich Haas. The hearing will consider arguments from Senegal, Morocco, and Caf, with Senegal seeking to be reinstated as winners.
Senegal's lawyers are expected to argue 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 argue that a temporary departure from the field cannot be equated with abandoning the match. Caf's Appeal Board ruled in Morocco's favour, citing articles of the tournament regulations that state a team that leaves the field without the referee's authorisation shall be considered the loser and eliminated from the competition.
Morocco is expected to present an opposing interpretation, arguing 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, and while Cas cannot state when a final decision will be rendered, it will not be on the date of the hearing.
The dispute centres on the interpretation of the tournament regulations and the Laws of the Game. Caf's decision to strip Senegal of the title was based on their interpretation of these regulations. However, Senegal's appeal argues that their actions on the pitch do not constitute abandoning the match.
The outcome of the hearing will determine the winner of this year's Africa Cup of Nations title. A decision in Senegal's favour would see them reinstated as champions, while a decision in Morocco's favour would confirm them as the winners. The final decision is expected to be rendered at a later date.
Key points
- The Court of Arbitration in Sport will hear Senegal's appeal against Caf's decision to strip them of the Africa Cup of Nations title.
- Senegal was stripped of the title after Caf's Appeal Board ruled that they had forfeited the match by walking off the pitch.
- The hearing will consider arguments from Senegal, Morocco, and Caf, with Senegal seeking to be reinstated as winners.
