CAF awarded the African championship title to Morocco by default two months after the 2025 AFCON final, a decision Senegal is challenging before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, a key member of the body's appeals committee has made some embarrassing revelations.
In an interview with L’Observateur, the vice-president of the commission contests the sanction endorsed by the Confederation of African Football.
“I am in profound disagreement with the decision,” protests Faustino Varela Monteiro, revealing that he was the only one to oppose this terrible verdict for the Lions of Teranga.
“I cannot subscribe to the interpretation that prevailed in this decision,” the official continues.
When the referee allows the match to continue and reach its conclusion, it seems to me that this confirms there was no abandonment.
Therefore, for a disciplinary body to reach a different conclusion would represent a break with the spirit of sport.”
The CAF decision is being challenged internally.
“Furthermore, if the course of the match can be changed later, then the very idea of a final decision loses all meaning,” he adds, before announcing that “the CAS will not review a decision made on the field unless there is convincing evidence of arbitrariness or bad faith in that decision.”
As a reminder, on January 18 in Rabat, Senegal won in extra time with a goal from Pape Gueye (1-0), after a match that was interrupted for nearly fifteen minutes.
Pape Thiaw’s players left the pitch to protest a penalty awarded to Morocco in added time.
A penalty missed by Brahim Diaz.
