The President of the Senegalese Football Federation, Abdoulaye Fall, has vowed to launch what he described as a “moral and legal crusade” against the decision to strip Senegal of their Africa Cup of Nations title.
The decision, taken by the Confederation of African Football, is currently being challenged at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Paris, where Senegal’s legal team strongly criticised the ruling.
Speaking at a press conference in Paris, France, Senegal’s lawyer, Juan de Dios Crespo Perez, described the decision as irrational and a violation of football regulations.
This decision cannot even be considered a true sporting justice ruling — it is so crude, so absurd, so irrational,” he said.
“It openly violates the Laws of the Game and the principle that refereeing decisions are final. If CAS rules against Senegal, the winners of the next World Cup could be decided in law firms rather than on the pitch.”
Senegal were initially crowned champions after defeating Morocco 1–0 in the final played in Rabat on January 18. However, CAF later ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match after walking off the pitch in protest over a controversial penalty decision before returning to continue the game and eventually winning in extra time.
The Senegalese FA has now appealed the decision at CAS and is pushing for an accelerated hearing process, which normally takes between nine and twelve months.
Fall insisted that Senegal would not accept the decision without a fight.
In the face of this administrative robbery, the FSF refuses to accept fatality. We will fight a moral and legal crusade,” he said.
The outcome of the CAS ruling could have major implications for football governance, particularly regarding whether match decisions and results can be overturned through legal processes after games have been completed.