CAS Opens Hearing Into Senegal’s Appeal Over AFCON Title Stripped In Favour Of Morocco

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday opened a hearing into Senegal’s appeal against the decision to strip them of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and award it to Morocco.

The hearing in Lausanne, Switzerland, comes nearly 10 months after Senegal defeated the tournament hosts following a chaotic end to normal time and an extra-time winner from Pape Gueye.

Naija News reports that Several Senegal players had walked off the pitch in protest after the referee awarded Morocco a late penalty. Brahim Diaz missed the spot-kick after the Senegalese players returned almost 20 minutes later, allowing the match to continue.

However, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturned the result in March, awarding Morocco a 3-0 win and the title. CAF ruled that Senegal had breached regulations prohibiting teams from leaving the field without the referee’s authorisation.

Thursday’s opening session lasted more than five hours behind closed doors. CAS general manager Matthieu Reeb acknowledged the lengthy wait for supporters and warned that the proceedings could continue for some time.

“I know that the wait for supporters, as much the Senegalese and Moroccan ones as all African fans, has been very long,” Reeb told reporters, adding that the hearing could last “days or even weeks.”

Senegal Football Federation president Abdoulaye Sow expressed hope that the tribunal would uphold “sports law for the dignity and honour of Africa.” Morocco’s delegation declined to comment.

Senegal have strongly opposed CAF’s decision, describing it as the “most blatant administrative robbery in the history of our sport”. The team also paraded the trophy before supporters in Paris in late March despite the ruling.

Sports law researcher Thibault Ulrich of the University of Lausanne described CAF’s decision as “extremely strict”, arguing that it failed to account for Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala’s decision to allow the match to continue.

The International Football Association Board’s rules suggest that a referee’s decision to continue a match cannot be overturned, even if the official made an error. CAS rules also favour respecting referees’ decisions unless corruption or bad faith is established.

The dispute has also raised questions about CAF’s handling of the case. On 18 March, the Senegalese government called for an investigation into suspected corruption within the organisation.

Two weeks before CAF ruled in Morocco’s favour, it dismissed Djiboutian lawyer Yassin Robleh, who had overseen the integrity of its procedures for six years. The organisation did not publicly explain his dismissal.