Senegal and Morocco played a chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final in January and they contest the title again Thursday — this time at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
asserted
they → play → Sport
A turbulent match, provoking violent clashes between Senegal fans and Moroccan police, and a hugely controversial fallout will be re-litigated at sport’s highest court in Switzerland nearly nine months after the referee’s final whistle blew in Rabat.
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whistle → provoke → 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.
uncertain
who → regain → 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.
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team → overturn → play
A one-day appeal hearing was scheduled with three judges behind closed doors Thursday at CAS headquarters in Lausanne.
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hearing → schedule → Lausanne
No target date has been set by the court for a verdict that should finally crown the champion of African men’s soccer.
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that → set → soccer
The next AFCON tournament kicks off in June, co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
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tournament → kick → Kenya
Leaders of the Senegalese and Moroccan soccer federations were expected to skip the hearing that clashes with a three-day CAF soccer summit in Cape Verde being attended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
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that → expect → Infantino
Soccer’s book of laws says the ref’s word is final
Soccer’s rule book, The Laws of the Game, is clear about the referee’s decision-making power.
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book → say → 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.
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Law → regard → match
Senegal beat host nation Morocco in a game eventually completed to referee Ndala’s satisfaction, despite the chaos.
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Senegal → beat → chaos
The referee restarted play once Senegal’s players had returned to the field after protesting a penalty kick awarded to Morocco deep in stoppage time.
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players → restart → time
Before the referee could decide to abandon the game, which would have gifted the title to Morocco, Senegal’s star forward Sadio Mané helped persuade his team to finish the game as tensions rose in the stadium.
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tensions → decide → stadium
The game restarted with the spot kick that could have won Morocco a first AFCON title since 1976.
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that → restart → 1976
What Brahim Díaz did next entered soccer history.
asserted
did → enter → 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.
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ball → place → goal
Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy stood up straight and easily caught the ball.
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Mendy → stand → ball
In the stadium VIP section, footage showed a visibly shocked Moroccan Prince Moulay Rachid sitting with FIFA’s Infantino.
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Rachid → show → 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.
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Gueye → go → net
The 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.
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million → follow → judges
The judges dismissed a request by Morocco to have the result annulled and be declared the winner because of the Senegalese walk-off.
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result → dismiss → off
There were appeals to CAF and, two months after the final, Senegal was ruled to have forfeited the game.
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Senegal → be → 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.”
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it → cite → competition
AFCON case rises to government level
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case → rise → 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.
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government → promise → soccer
The case fueled the sense that 2030 World Cup co-host Morocco has extensive influence within CAF and FIFA.
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Morocco → fuel → CAF
In May, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI pardoned 18 Senegalese soccer fans who were jailed over the disorder in the Rabat stadium.
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who → pardon → stadium
The Aporia
