The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) have confirmed an appeal from Senegal which aims to overturn the controversial decision to strip them of their AFCON title.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced the decision on March 17 to crown Morocco champions two months after the acrimonious conclusion to the tournament.
Therefore, Senegal have been stripped of their title for leaving the pitch, and it has been declared that they forfeited.
Tournament hosts Morocco are now considered 3-0 winners of the final, which took place on January 18, ending a 49-year wait for their second Afcon title.
Senegal’s appeal to CAS seeks to set aside CAF’s decision to overturn their title ruling to reinstate their victory.
of State to Senegal’s Prime Minister claimed the ruling “contradicts” the principles of sporting ethics. Sky Sports News has approached CAF for comment.
A statement from CAS confirmed an arbitral panel would be appointed to assess the matter. Senegal have 20 days to file their legal arguments and CAF then have a further 20 days to submit their statement of defence.
Matthieu Reeb, CAS director general, said: “CAS is perfectly equipped to resolve this type of dispute, with the assistance of expert and independent arbitrators.
“We understand that teams and fans are eager to know the final decision, and we will ensure that arbitration proceedings are conducted as swiftly as possible, while respecting the right of all parties to a fair hearing.”
What happened in the Afcon final?
Senegal triumphed 1-0 after extra-time, after controversially exiting the field in protest after hosts Morocco were awarded a contentious stoppage-time penalty, delaying the game for 17 minutes.
Brahim Diaz missed from the spot, his panenka comfortably saved, when play eventually resumed after Sadio Mane convinced his team-mates to return and Senegal won the final thanks to Pape Gueye’s goal in extra-time.
CAF says Senegal infringed on article 82 of Afcon’s regulations, which states if a team refuses to play or leaves the ground before the end of regulation time without the refereee’s authorisation, it will be considered the loser and eliminated from the competition.
Article 84 states any team that violates article 82 will be permanently eliminated and lose the match 3-0.
In a statement released on Wednesday evening, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation said it had “never been about challenging the sporting performances of the teams involved”.
“Following the decision by the CAF Appeal Board, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) welcomes a ruling that upholds respect for rules that are necessary for the proper functioning of international competition.
“From the moment the final was interrupted, the FRMF has been clear in its position and goal: the application of regulations governing the competition.
“It has never been about challenging the sporting performance of the teams involved, but solely to ensure that the tournament rules are respected.”
Senegal brand decision ‘unacceptable’
Senegal will now appeal to CAS which typically takes about a year to reach a verdict.
Responding via a statement on X, the Senegal federation branded the decision “iniquitous, unprecedented and unacceptable”, saying it “threw discredit on African football”.
“For the defence of the rights and interests of Senegalese football, the federation will engage, with the shortest delay, an appeal procedure before the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne,” the statement added.
The Senegalese football federation’s secretary general called the decision a “shame for Africa” in an interview with public broadcaster Radiodiffusion Télévision Sénégalaise.
The result is an outcome of an appeal made by Morocco’s football federation, which welcomed the verdict in an initial response.
Morocco said the appeal was never “intended to challenge the sporting performance of the teams” only “to request the application of the competition’s regulations”.
