Senegal’s challenge against being stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations title will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) in Lausanne on Thursday.
The case could bring the long-running dispute over the tournament’s winner closer to a conclusion. Senegal are asking to be restored as champions after the Confederation of African Football (Caf) overturned their 1-0 extra-time victory over Morocco in the final in Rabat in January.
The controversy began late in normal time when a penalty was awarded against Senegal. The team left the pitch for 14 minutes, with several players going back to the dressing room in protest, before returning to continue the match.
Morocco missed the penalty and the final went into extra time. Senegal then scored the decisive goal and appeared to have secured the title.
Two months later, Caf’s Appeal Board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match by leaving the field. It overturned the result and awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory, making them champions.
Senegal lodged an appeal with Cas on March 25. The hearing on Thursday will include arguments from Senegal, Morocco and Caf, with the Senegalese delegation seeking reinstatement as winners.
“After the hearing, the panel will start its deliberations. At this stage, Cas cannot state when a final decision will be rendered but it will not be on the date of the hearing,” Cas said in a statement.
The three-person panel will be chaired by French civil rights expert Professor Gerald Simon. He will be joined by Italian international law professor Luigi Fumagalli and Ulrich Haas, a Hamburg-based attorney and professor at the University of Zurich.
A central issue will be whether the referee’s decisions during a match can be challenged retrospectively under the Laws of the Game. Senegal are expected to argue that such decisions are final.
The panel will also examine the tournament regulations used by Caf’s Appeal Board in reaching its decision. They state: “if, for any reason whatsoever, a team refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorisation of the referee, it shall be considered the loser and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition”.
Senegal’s lawyers are expected to argue that the regulation should be applied strictly, and that leaving the pitch temporarily does not amount to abandoning a match.
Morocco are expected to present the opposing interpretation: that any team leaving the field without the referee’s permission must be declared the loser and permanently eliminated, regardless of whether its departure was temporary.
The hearing will be held behind closed doors.
