Senegal has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport regarding the decision to take away their Africa Cup of Nations title and award it to Morocco, as confirmed by the Swiss-based tribunal on Wednesday. The Court of Arbitration for Sport acknowledged receiving an appeal from the Senegalese Football Federation against the Confederation of African Football and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. Senegal is seeking to reverse CAF’s ruling that stripped them of the title after some of their players left the field in protest of a penalty awarded to Morocco during the Cup of Nations final, which Senegal won 1-0 in extra time.
On March 17, CAF upheld an appeal by the Moroccan Football Federation, citing that Senegal had violated tournament rules by walking off the field. Consequently, Senegal was deemed to have forfeited the match, changing their 1-0 victory to a 3-0 loss, thus crowning Morocco as champions. The appeal from Senegal aims to annul CAF’s decision and declare the Senegalese Football Federation as the winners of AFCON.
CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb mentioned the importance of a swift arbitration process while ensuring a fair hearing for all parties involved. The controversial moment occurred when Morocco was awarded a contentious penalty in injury time of the goalless match. The penalty decision, made after a VAR check following a challenge on Brahim Diaz by El Hadji Malick Diouf, led to a pitch invasion by some Senegalese fans and a protest by the players, delaying the game for nearly 20 minutes.
Despite the incident, Senegal eventually resumed play, with Pape Gueye scoring the decisive goal in extra time, securing Senegal’s second continental title. The Moroccan Federation responded to CAF’s ruling by emphasizing their request for the application of competition regulations rather than contesting the teams’ sporting performance.
CAF president Patrice Motsepe expressed support for the right of African nations to appeal to CAS, ensuring respect for the final decision. Following the final, FIFA president Gianni Infantino criticized “some Senegal players” for their actions during the match. Both Senegal and Morocco are currently engaged in friendly matches as part of their preparations for the upcoming World Cup. Senegal is set to play against Peru in Paris, while Morocco, under new coach Mohamed Ouahbi, will face Ecuador in Madrid and Paraguay in Lens, France.
