Senegal said it would appeal the “unjust, unprecedented and unacceptable decision” to strip it of its Africa Cup of Nations title after a chaotic final against hosts Morocco.
On Tuesday, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board Senegal was adjudged to have lost the final By walking off the field in extra time to protest the penalty awarded to Morocco in January.
He subsequently returned to the field, only for his rivals to miss a crucial penalty, but the board’s decision has now been reversed. 1-0 win for Senegal to a default 3-0 win MoroccoMaking them the winners of the tournament.
Referee Jean-Jacques Nadala awards a penalty to Morocco after a VAR review. Image: Reuters
Now the Senegalese The government is vowing to “pursue all appropriate legal avenues” to challenge the verdict.
“This unprecedented and extraordinarily serious decision directly contradicts the fundamental principles of sports ethics, the most important of which are fairness, loyalty and respect for the truth of the game,” the government said in a statement.
The statement branded the judgment “grossly illegal and deeply unjust” and a “clear misinterpretation of the rules”.
Accordingly, the Senegalese Football Federation said the decision was “unfair, unprecedented and unacceptable” and “discredits African football”.
Senegal’s Sadio Mane celebrates with his teammates after winning the Africa Cup of Nations. Image: Reuters
The organization said it would appeal “as soon as possible” to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.
In justifying its decision, CAF referred to articles 82 and 84 of its Africa Cup of Nations regulations.
The former stipulates that a team who refuses to play or walks off the field without the referee’s permission will forfeit the match and be kicked out of the tournament.
The latter article mandates a 3-0 win for the opposing team.
Senegalese fans clashed with security as fans stormed the pitch
However, the referee has “absolute authority” to decide what happens in a match under Law 5 of the International Football Association Board, which sets the rules of the game globally.
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In its own statement, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation said its appeal to CAF was “never about challenging the sporting performance” of the teams, but “to ensure that tournament rules are respected”.
“CAF acknowledges that the rules known to all and applicable to all were not respected,” it added.
