Senegal’s Last Hope to Retain Their Title
The AFCON final is still not over. As a reminder, the CAF awarded the title to Morocco after the temporary walk-off by Senegal, following a penalty awarded in the final minutes that led Senegalese players to leave the pitch for 15 minutes. They later returned and ended up winning the match in extra time.
The controversy has been enormous, and Senegal is now seeking to reclaim the championship they insist they won on the field.
The Rules and the Controversy
The regulations are clear: if a team refuses to continue a match once it has started, it may face a $20,000 fine, forfeiture of the match, and even disqualification in more serious cases.
However, there is a key element in Senegal’s appeal that could change everything and return the title to them in what already feels like the longest extra time in history.
The Key to the Appeal
The match was stopped for 15 minutes, but the players returned to the field and the referee never declared it finished. This point is crucial, as the referee is the highest authority on the pitch. If the match continued under his judgment, the result should be considered valid and cannot be interpreted as an abandonment.
This argument is at the core of Senegal’s federation and legal team’s defense, who maintain that since no official suspension was declared, the final result must stand and the title should belong to Senegal.
Without a doubt, this match is still not over, and the extra time off the pitch is proving to be just as intense as the game itself.
