United News of Bangladesh

Senegal and Morocco will renew their dispute over the Africa Cup of Nations title on Thursday, nearly nine months after a chaotic final, as the case reaches the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland. The January final in Rabat was followed by clashes between Senegal fans and Moroccan police and a controversial decision that changed the outcome of the match. Senegal initially won 1-0 after extra time, but the Confederation of African Football (CAF) overturned the result in March and awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory. CAF's appeals panel ruled against Senegal after its players briefly left the field to protest a penalty awarded to Morocco, causing a 15-minute delay. The authority of referee Jean-Jacques Ndala of Congo is expected to be central to Senegal's appeal. CAS hearingA one-day hearing involving three judges was scheduled behind closed doors Thursday at the CAS headquarters in Lausanne. The court has not set a date for its verdict, which will determine the champion of African men's football before the next AFCON begins in June in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The presidents of the Senegalese and Moroccan football federations were expected to miss the hearing because it coincides with a three-day CAF summit in Cape Verde attended by FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Referee's decisionFootball's Laws of the Game give the referee final authority over decisions related to play, including whether a goal is scored and the result of a match. Ndala allowed the final to continue after Senegal's players returned to the field following their protest over a penalty awarded deep in stoppage time. Senegal forward Sadio Mané helped persuade his teammates to finish the match as tensions escalated inside the stadium. Morocco's Brahim Díaz then took the penalty but failed to score with a slow, chipped effort known as a “Panenka.” Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy stayed upright and caught the ball. Four minutes into extra time, Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye scored the only goal of the match with a rising shot, securing Senegal's 1-0 victory. CAF sanctionsEleven days after the final, CAF disciplinary judges imposed more than $1 million in combined fines on the two federations, players and Senegal coach Pape Thiaw. The judges rejected Morocco's request to annul the result and declare it the winner because of Senegal's walk-off. However, CAF appeal judges later ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match, citing tournament rules stating that a team that leaves the field before the match ends without the referee's permission is considered the loser and eliminated from the competition. Government involvementSenegal's government pledged to pursue all appropriate legal avenues to recover the title and called for an investigation into suspected corruption in African football. The dispute also fueled claims that Morocco, which will co-host the 2030 World Cup, has significant influence within CAF and FIFA. In May, Moroccan King Mohammed VI pardoned 18 Senegalese football fans who had been jailed over disorder at the Rabat stadium.