Senegal’s challenge against the decision to award Morocco the Africa Cup of Nations title will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne on Thursday.
The dispute stems from January’s final in Rabat, where Senegal defeated hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra time. Senegal players had temporarily left the pitch for about 14 minutes after Morocco were awarded a late penalty, which was later missed.
Two months after the final, the Confederation of African Football’s Appeal Board overturned the result, ruling that Senegal had forfeited the match by leaving the field. Morocco were subsequently awarded a 3-0 victory and the title.
Senegal appealed the decision to CAS in March, seeking to have the original result restored. A three-member panel will hear arguments from Senegal, Morocco and CAF, with the hearing taking place behind closed doors.
The panel is not expected to issue a ruling on Thursday. The case could centre on whether Senegal’s temporary departure amounted to abandoning the match under CAF regulations and whether the referee’s decisions during the game can be overturned retrospectively.
