Senegal and Morocco to get Africa Cup of Nations title verdict within days
Senegal and Morocco played a chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final in January and they contested the title again Thursday — this time at the Court of Arbitration for Sport which expects a verdict within days.
A turbulent match, provoking violent clashes between Senegal fans and Moroccan police, and a hugely controversial fallout is being re-litigated at sport's highest court in Switzerland nearly nine months after the referee's final whistle blew in Rabat.
The authority of that referee, Jean-Jacques Ndala of Congo, could be decisive in Senegal's appeal to regain the trophy that was stripped from players who earned it on the field of play with a 1-0 win over Morocco after extra time.
The result was overturned in March to a 3-0 win for Morocco by a Confederation of African Football (CAF) appeals panel because Senegal's team walked off to protest a penalty being awarded, causing a 15-minute delay in play.
CAS appeal hearing
Lawyers and officials for the Senegalese and Moroccan soccer federations did not talk with media heading into a one-day appeal hearing scheduled with three judges behind closed doors Thursday at CAS headquarters in Lausanne.
The court's director general, Matthieu Reeb, told reporters the judges aim to give their decision "a few days later" to finally crown the champion of African men's soccer.
"I know it's a long wait for the fans, a few months after the final," Reeb said. "The procedural calendar has been established with the agreement of the parties."
The next AFCON kicks off in June, co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Leaders of the Senegalese and Moroccan federations had been expected to skip the hearing that clashes with a three-day CAF soccer summit in Cape Verde being attended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Soccer laws say ref's word is final
Soccer's rule book, The Laws of the Game, is clear about the referee's decision-making power.
"The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play, including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final," Law 5.2 states.
Senegal beat host Morocco in a final eventually completed to referee Ndala's satisfaction, despite the chaos.
The referee restarted play once Senegal's players returned to the field after protesting a penalty kick awarded to Morocco deep in stoppage time.
Before the referee could decide to abandon the game, which would have gifted the title to Morocco, Senegal star forward Sadio Mané helped to persuade his team to finish the game as tensions rose in the stadium.
Brahim Diaz's infamous 'Panenka' penalty
The game restarted with the spot kick that could have won Morocco a first AFCON title since 1976.
What Brahim Díaz did next entered soccer history. The Real Madrid forward placed a delicate slow chip shot, designed to deceive the goalkeeper who typically dives to one side and watches the ball slowly arc into the middle of the goal.
Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy stood up straight and easily caught the ball. In the stadium VIP section, footage showed a visibly shocked Moroccan Prince Moulay Rachid sitting with FIFA's Infantino.
The game went into extra time, and four minutes later Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye surged forward to fire a rising shot into the Morocco net. It was the only goal.
CAF disciplinary and appeal verdicts follow
More than $1 million in total fines for the two federations, plus players and Senegal coach Pape Thiaw, were imposed 11 days after the game by Cairo-based CAF disciplinary judges.
The judges dismissed a request by Morocco to have the result annulled and be declared the winner because of the Senegal walk-off.
There were appeals to CAF and, two months after the final, Senegal was ruled to have forfeited the game.
CAF appeal judges cited AFCON tournament rules that if a team "refuses to play or leaves the ground before the regular end of the match without the authorization of the referee, it shall be considered loser and shall be eliminated for good from the current competition."
AFCON case rises to government level
Senegal's government promised to help "pursue all appropriate legal avenues" to regain the title and called for an investigation "into suspected corruption" within African soccer.
The case fueled the sense that 2030 World Cup co-host Morocco has extensive influence within CAF and FIFA.
In May, Morocco King Mohammed VI pardoned 18 Senegalese soccer fans who were jailed for disorder in the Rabat stadium.
Source: Associated Press
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