CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb told ESPN that the three-member panel hearing Senegal’s appeal in Lausanne, Switzerland, is aiming to issue its verdict “a few days later” after Thursday’s hearing.
The case centres on Senegal’s 1-0 extra-time victory over hosts Morocco in the AFCON final, which was later overturned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeals Board.
CAF awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory in March after ruling that Senegal had forfeited the match following their players’ brief walk-off in protest against a late penalty awarded to Morocco.
The Senegalese players later returned to the pitch, and the match resumed on the authority of Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala.
Senegal subsequently appealed to CAS, seeking to overturn CAF’s decision and have their AFCON title restored.
The authority of Ndala is expected to be a key issue in the case, with Law 5.2 of the Laws of the Game stating that the referee’s decisions regarding facts connected with play, including the result of a match, are final.
Reeb said the panel would consider the arguments before issuing its decision shortly after the hearing.
“I know it’s a long wait for the fans, a few months after the final,” Reeb said. “The procedural calendar has been established with the agreement of the parties.”
The hearing is being held behind closed doors, with lawyers representing the Senegalese and Moroccan football federations, as well as CAF.
The dispute has generated significant controversy since the final, with CAF imposing more than $1 million in fines on the two federations, players and Senegal coach Pape Thiaw.
Morocco have since been officially recorded by CAF as 3-0 winners and recognised as champions, while Senegal continues its legal challenge in an attempt to reclaim the title won on the pitch.
The next Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to begin in June and will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
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