CAS Begins Hearing on Senegal’s AFCON Title Appeal

The Court of Arbitration for Sport(CAS) has opened proceedings on Senegal’s appeal against the decision to strip the country of its Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and award it to Morocco.

The hearing began on Thursday in Lausanne, Switzerland, almost 10 months after Senegal defeated Morocco in a dramatic final.

Pape Gueye scored the winning goal in extra time after a chaotic end to regulation time. The match descended into controversy when several Senegal players left the pitch following a late penalty awarded to Morocco.

Morocco’s Brahim Diaz missed the penalty after the Senegalese players returned nearly 20 minutes later. Senegal eventually held on to win the match.

However, the Confederation of African Football(CAF) overturned the result in March. The continental body awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory and recognised the North African country as champions.

The opening CAS session lasted more than five hours behind closed doors. CAS general manager Matthieu Reeb said the proceedings could continue for several days or even weeks.

“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.

The Moroccan delegation declined to comment after Thursday’s session. Senegal Football Federation president Abdoulaye Sow, however, expressed confidence in the appeal.

He said Senegal hoped the case would be decided according to sports law and in a manner that protected the dignity of African football.

CAF based its decision on rules that prohibit teams from leaving the field without the referee’s authorisation. Senegal strongly rejected the ruling and described it as “the most blatant administrative robbery in the history of our sport.”

The Senegalese side later paraded the trophy before supporters in Paris despite CAF’s decision.

The legal dispute has also drawn attention to the authority of match officials. Thibault Ulrich, a sports law researcher at Lausanne University, described CAF’s ruling as extremely strict.

Ulrich argued that the decision failed to give enough weight to Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala’s decision to allow the match to continue.

The International Football Association Board, which oversees the laws of football, has provisions that protect a referee’s decision to continue a match. Those provisions could become important during the CAS proceedings.

CAS rules also generally protect referees’ decisions unless evidence shows corruption or bad faith.

The dispute has since widened beyond the pitch. The Senegalese government called for an investigation into alleged corruption within CAF on March 18.

The move came shortly before CAF announced its decision in Morocco’s favour. Two weeks earlier, CAF had dismissed Djiboutian lawyer Yassin Robleh.

Robleh had overseen the integrity of CAF procedures for six years. The organisation did not publicly explain the reason for his dismissal.

The CAS ruling will now determine whether Morocco retains the title or Senegal regains the trophy it won on the pitch.

The case has attracted widespread attention across African football because it could also influence how governing bodies handle disputed match incidents and the authority of referees in major competitions.