GENEVA (AP) — Senegal Call for regaining the Africa Cup of Nations The title, won in January in a chaotic final against hosts Morocco, will be heard at the highest court in the world of sport on October 8.
of The Court of Arbitration for Sport stated: Friday’s hearing was held behind closed doors at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, and no target date has been set for a verdict.
It can typically take months for CAS judges to announce their decisions, and the AFCON case will come under intense scrutiny after giving rise to frivolous litigation. Turbulence in Africa’s soccer and political worlds.
Senegal defeated Morocco 1-0 in extra time. A special final in Rabat January 18th.
Morocco is Won the title a few weeks later The Confederation of African Football’s appeal judges ruled that Senegal defaulted to the match by leaving the field in protest of a penalty kick awarded to Morocco.
Preparations for the appeal hearing continued throughout the period. world cup When Morocco advanced to the quarterfinals, Senegal is defeated against Belgium in the round of 32 after leading 2-0 late in the match.
“At this stage, CAS cannot say when a final decision will be made, but it will not be on the day of the hearing,” the court said in a statement Friday.
How the finals will unfold
The drama of the AFCON final erupted in stoppage time after the regular 90 minutes had ended and the score was tied 0-0.
Senegal’s players were sent off the field after Morocco were awarded a penalty, delaying play for 15 minutes, but it was ultimately saved.
Senegal’s star forward Sadio Mane is credited Contributed to convincing the team to complete the game.
This prevented the match from being called off amid violent scenes in the stadium due to clashes between Moroccan police and Senegalese fans. Tensions escalated as the goal was canceled out in stoppage time minutes before Senegal was awarded a penalty.
Morocco’s missed penalty also became part of soccer legend. In preparation for the final play of the match, Morocco forward Brahim Diaz attempted a delicate slow chip shot known as a ‘panenka’, which Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy rose to his feet and effortlessly saved.
The elimination from the finals continued until May. Moroccan King Mohammed VI pardons 18 Senegalese fans He was sentenced to up to a year in prison for the clash inside the stadium.
Appeal to African soccer referees
The CAF appeal ruling in March appeared to ignore soccer law. state the referee’s decision The play on the field is final.
However, the judges cited CAF tournament rules which state that teams that refuse to play will be “permanently excluded from the current competition.” Senegal’s refusal to play continued for several minutes, but did not force or persuade the referee to stop the match.
The decision to strip Senegal of the title reinforced the perception that Morocco would be stripped of the title. Co-host the 2030 World Cup Along with Spain and Portugal, their influence in international football politics is increasing.
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