The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne is set to hear Senegal's appeal against the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) decision to award Morocco the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title. The appeal, lodged by Senegal on March 25, challenges CAF's ruling that Senegal forfeited the match against Morocco in January's final in Rabat. Despite Senegal defeating Morocco 1-0 after extra time, CAF's Appeal Board overturned the result, awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory and the championship.
The controversy began late in the match when Senegal players left the pitch for about 14 minutes after Morocco was awarded a penalty. Several Senegal players went to the dressing room in protest before eventually returning to the field. Morocco missed the penalty, and the match went into extra time, with Senegal ultimately scoring the winning goal. However, CAF's Appeal Board ruled that Senegal's temporary departure from the pitch constituted forfeiting the match.
A three-man CAS panel, led by French civil rights expert Gerald Simon, will hear the case. Italian international law professor Luigi Fumagalli and University of Zurich law professor Ulrich Haas will also be part of the panel. The hearing will involve representatives of Senegal, Morocco, and CAF. CAS stated that its panel would begin deliberations after hearing the arguments but warned that a final decision would not be announced on the day of the hearing.
Senegal's lawyers are expected to argue that decisions made by the referee during a match are final and cannot be overturned later. They will also focus on CAF's tournament regulations, which state that a team that refuses to play or leaves the field before the end of a match without the referee's permission can be declared the loser and eliminated from the competition. However, Senegal's lawyers will argue that the rule should not apply in this case, as the players only left the pitch temporarily and later returned to continue the match.
Morocco, on the other hand, is expected to argue that Senegal should be considered to have lost the match because they left the field without the referee's permission, even though they later returned. The hearing will be held behind closed doors. The case has significant implications for both teams, with Morocco having already celebrated their championship win and Senegal seeking to overturn the decision.
Meanwhile, the 2027 AFCON qualifiers have already started, with Senegal drawing 1-1 with Mozambique in Patrick Vieira's first match as coach on September 25. Senegal then beat Ethiopia 1-0 on September 29. Morocco has won both of their opening qualifying matches, defeating Gabon and Lesotho. The outcome of the CAS hearing may have implications for the teams' future performances in the qualifiers.
The CAS hearing is a crucial step in resolving the dispute between Senegal and Morocco. The panel's decision will have a significant impact on the teams involved and may set a precedent for future cases. Key points to watch include the CAS panel's interpretation of CAF's tournament regulations and the implications of the decision for the teams' future performances.
Key points
- The CAS hearing will focus on CAF's tournament regulations and the referee's decisions during the match.
- Senegal's lawyers will argue that the team's temporary departure from the pitch should not be considered a forfeit.
- The outcome of the hearing may have implications for the teams' future performances in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
