Court of Arbitration for Sport Confirms Senegal’s Appeal Against CAF Jury
The Court of Arbitration for Sport, an international authority that handles sports-related disputes, has issued a formal statement confirming the Senegal Football Federation’s plea.
The CAF Appeal Board formally stripped Senegal of the AFCON title won by Teranga Lions in December 2022, which had already been validated as such by the federation’s disciplinary committee.
The decision came after Morocco protested chaotic scenes late in the final, when Senegal players briefly left the pitch after a disallowed goal and a penalty awarded to the hosts, which the appeal board ruled violated Articles 82 and 84 of the competition regulations on misconduct and forfeiture.
Sadio Mané, Senegal’s captain, and the Senegal Football Federation (FSF) responded to the Appeal Body’s decision.
“What happened has gone too far. This is not the football we fight for, not the Africa we believe in. There is too much corruption in our game, and it’s killing the passion of millions of fans across the continent. Players give everything on the pitch, but decisions off it are deciding matches and trophies,” Sadio did not hold back.
The Senegalese Football Federation described the judgement as “unfair, unprecedented, and unacceptable.”
The FSF Executive Committee firmly condemned the CAF Appeal jury’s unjust ruling when they held a news conference at the Noom Hotel to oppose it.
Abdoulaye Fall, the President of FSF, said, “Senegal will remain standing, we will not act emotionally, but in a very calm and clear-headed manner to best defend Senegal’s interests.”
According to Matthieu Reed, Director General of the Court of Arbitration for Sports, the world’s football conflict resolution organization is better suited to resolving this sort of football issue.
“CAS is perfectly equipped to resolve this type of dispute, with the assistance of expert and independent arbitrators. We understand that teams and fans are eager to know the final decision, and we will ensure that arbitration proceedings are conducted as swiftly as possible, while respecting the right of all parties to a fair hearing,”
Story by Atakorah (Pramaso)
