CAS locks in October hearing for Afcon final furore

Senegal’s appeal to regain the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title it won in a chaotic final against host nation Morocco in January will be heard at sport’s highest court on October 8.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said the hearing will be held behind closed doors at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, with no target date set for a verdict.

CAS judges can typically take several months to announce their decision, and the Afcon case will be rigorously scrutinised after provoking a furore in African soccer and political circles.

Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 after extra time in an extraordinary final in Rabat on January 18.

Morocco was awarded the title several weeks later when appeal judges for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ruled Senegal defaulted the game by leaving the field to protest a penalty kick being awarded to Morocco.

Preparing the appeal hearing was in process throughout the World Cup, where Morocco reached the quarterfinals and Senegal stunningly lost in the round of 32 against Belgium after leading 2-0 late in the game.

“At this stage, CAS cannot state when a final decision will be rendered, but it will not be on the day of the hearing,” the court said on Friday in a statement.

How the final unfolded

The Afcon final drama erupted in stoppage time after the regulation 90 minutes with the score tied at 0-0.

Senegal’s players walked off the field and delayed play for 15 minutes when Morocco was awarded the penalty that was eventually saved.

Senegal’s star forward Sadio Mané was credited with helping persuade his team to complete the game.

That avoided the game being abandoned amid angry scenes in the stadium as Moroccan police clashed with Senegal fans.

Tensions had risen when Senegal had a goal disallowed in stoppage time, minutes before the penalty was awarded.

Morocco’s missed penalty kick also entered soccer lore. Stepping up for what shaped as the final play of the game, Morocco forward Brahim Díaz attempted a delicate slow chip — known as a “Panenka” — that Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy stood up to save easily.

Fallout from the final continued into May, when Morocco’s King Mohammed VI pardoned 18 Senegal fans who had been jailed for up to a year over the clashes in the stadium.

African soccer judges challenged

The CAF appeal ruling in March seemed to ignore the laws of soccer, which state the referee’s decision on the field of play is final.

The judges, however, cited a CAF tournament rule that any team refusing to play “shall be eliminated for good from the current competition”. Senegal’s refusal to play lasted several minutes, though it did not force or persuade the referee to abandon the game.

The decision to strip the title from Senegal fuelled a perception that Morocco, which will co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal, has increasing influence in international soccer politics.