Did Morocco win the Africa Cup or not? Was Senegal the winner? While opinions may differ, the Senegalese remain confident that the situation will eventually be resolved in their favor.
The story has spread widely: Senegal defeated Morocco 1-0 in the Africa Cup final. However, controversy unfolded when Senegal’s players left the pitch after the referee awarded a penalty to Morocco. Following this, the African Football Confederation (CAF) decided to hand the trophy to Morocco instead. Senegal has since appealed the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and the outcome of that case is still pending.
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF), however, is confident of a favorable outcome in their appeal. In anticipation, they have announced a celebratory parade featuring the trophy, which is scheduled to take place before their friendly match against Peru this Saturday afternoon (17:00). The federation has even shared a detailed timeline of the planned events.
“Senegal will not bow down or compromise,” proclaimed Abdoulaye Fall, the president of the Senegalese football federation, during a press briefing. “Our fight has escalated beyond the football pitch. The Senegalese Football Federation refuses to accept what we view as an outrageous administrative theft. We are prepared to embark on a moral and legal crusade.”
A statement from the CAS released a few days ago reads: “The appeal filed by the FSF (Senegalese Football Federation, editor’s note) seeks to overturn the CAF’s decision and declare Senegal as the rightful winner of the Africa Cup.”
The request also calls for the immediate suspension of the deadline for submitting an appeal until the CAF has reached a fully substantiated decision. An arbitration panel from the CAS will be assigned to handle this case. Following that, a procedural schedule will be determined.