The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), yesterday promised speedy resolution of Senegal’s appeal after being stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title by the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF).
CAA who heard arguments on the matter yesterday said it will have a decision in matter of days.
Senegalese FA is contesting the CAF’s decision to declare Morocco champions, despite Senegal beating the hosts 1-0 after extra time in January’s final in Rabat.
Senegal walked off the pitch for 14 minutes after a penalty was awarded against them late in regulation time, with several players returning to the dressing room in protest before they resumed play.
Morocco failed to convert the spot kick, sending the match into extra time, where Senegal scored the winner to secure victory.
However, they were stripped of the title two months later after CAF’s Appeal Board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match by walking off the pitch, overturning the result and awarding a 3-0 victory to Morocco.
Senegal quickly followed with an appeal to sport’s highest court, CAS, which was lodged on March 25 but heard on Thursday.
CAS Director General, Matthieu Reeb, said he’s aware of the long wait by fans of both teams for the decision to come. “I know it’s a long wait for the fans a few months after the final between Senegal and Morocco,” Reeb noted yesterday.
“The timetable and the procedural calendar were established with the agreement of the parties involved in this case. So everybody knew about the timeline, and our objective as CAS, as the last instance authority, is to provide a reasoned award as soon as possible after the hearing today (Thursday),” he further told reporters.
The long-running saga over the winner of this year’s Africa Cup of Nations title will be concluded within days, although Reeb did not give a definite date.
“I expect the decision to come not today, not tomorrow, but a few days later. The facts are set, are clear, and the discussions will be on some procedural issues and legal aspects,” he added
The CAS panel, presided over by French sports law expert Gerald Simon with assistance from Italian international law professor Luigi Fumagalli and Hamburg-based lawyer and professor of law at the University of Zurich Ulrich Haas, heard the pleadings of the parties who were represented by their lawyers, with the hearing completed on Thursday.
Morocco’s delegation did not speak to the media. Senegal General Secretary Abdoulaye Sow said they were confident. “But the important thing is that sports law is upheld, and that this particular match is put to bed, for the sake of dignity and for Africa,” Sow told reporters outside the hearing, which was held behind closed doors.