GENEVA (AP) — Senegal’s appeal to be reinstated as Africa Cup of Nations champion was registered Wednesday by sport’s highest court, which set no timetable for a likely long process toward a verdict in a heated soccer controversy.
The Senegal soccer federation is challenging a surprise ruling last week by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to strip the title won in a chaotic final on the field in January and award it to host nation Morocco.
An appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland was promised last week by the Senegalese government, which also called for an international investigation “into suspected corruption” within the African soccer body.
CAS said in a statement that the Senegal federation also asks for extra time to file an appeal brief because CAF has not yet given detailed written reasons to explain its verdict.
“At this early stage of proceedings and considering the (Senegal federation) request to suspend deadlines, it is not possible to anticipate a procedural timeline and to indicate when a hearing will be scheduled,” the court said.
CAF appeal judges took the title from Senegal two months after the final in Rabat as punishment for players walking off in protest during a 15-minute stoppage after Morocco was awarded a penalty that was set to decide the title with the last kick.
The referee eventually restarted play after the Senegal team returned, and the Morocco penalty was then saved sending the game into extra time. Senegal scored the only goal in extra time to beat the host nation 1-0.
The laws of soccer state the referee’s decision on the field of play is final.
The CAF judges, however, cited a tournament rule that any team refusing to play “shall be eliminated for good from the current competition.”
The verdict last week in Morocco’s appeal of CAF disciplinary rulings from January fueled a perception the country, which will co-host the 2030 World Cup, has increasing influence in international soccer politics.
CAF’s South African president Patrice Motsepe insisted last week “not a single country in Africa will be treated in a manner that is more preferential, or more advantageous, or more favorable than any other.”
An appeal to CAS can typically take several months to schedule a hearing then weeks or months more to announce a verdict.
“We understand that teams and fans are eager to know the final decision,” Matthieu Reeb, the CAS director general, said in a statement, “and we will ensure that arbitration proceedings are conducted as swiftly as possible, while respecting the right of all parties to a fair hearing.”
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