The Court of Arbitration for Sport has pledged to rule swiftly on Senegal’s challenge after the team was deprived of the Africa Cup of Nations crown. Arguments were heard on Thursday, with a verdict expected within the coming days.
Senegal are challenging the Confederation of African Football’s decision to name Morocco as champions, even though Senegal defeated the host nation 1-0 after extra time in the January final in Rabat.
Late in normal time, Senegal left the field for 14 minutes after a penalty was given against them. Several members of the squad went back to the dressing room in protest before the match eventually restarted.
Morocco missed the resulting penalty, taking the contest into extra time, where Senegal found the decisive goal and appeared to seal the trophy.
Two months later, however, CAF’s Appeal Board removed Senegal’s title after finding that their walk-off amounted to forfeiture. The original result was reversed and Morocco were awarded a 3-0 win.
Senegal promptly took the matter to CAS, sport’s top judicial body. The appeal was filed on March 25 and was heard on Thursday.
“I understand that supporters have had to wait a long time, several months after the Senegal-Morocco final,” CAS director general Matthieu Reeb said.
“The schedule and procedural timetable were agreed by all the parties in this matter. Everyone therefore knew the timetable, and CAS’s aim, as the final authority, is to issue a fully reasoned ruling as quickly as possible following today’s hearing,” Reeb told reporters.
The prolonged dispute over the winners of this year’s Africa Cup of Nations is set to be settled in a matter of days, although Reeb did not specify an exact date for the ruling.
“I anticipate a decision neither today nor tomorrow, but a few days afterwards. The facts have been established and are clear; the debate concerns procedural points and legal questions,” he added.
The CAS panel was chaired by French sports-law specialist Gerald Simon, alongside Italian international-law professor Luigi Fumagalli and Ulrich Haas, the Hamburg-based lawyer and University of Zurich law professor. Lawyers for the respective parties presented their cases, and the closed hearing concluded on Thursday.
Morocco’s representatives made no comments to the media, while Senegal general secretary Abdoulaye Sow said his side remained confident.
“What matters is that sporting law is respected and that this match can finally be resolved, in the interests of dignity and Africa,” Sow said outside the private hearing.
