Senegal vows to fight 'unfair administrative robbery

In this file photo, Senegal’s Idrissa Gueye calls players to walk off the pitch during the Africa Cup of Nations final soccer match between Senegal and Morocco, in Rabat, Morocco. (AP)

PARIS, March 26 (AP): Senegal was the victim of a "grossly unfair administrative robbery" when it was stripped of the Africa Cup of Nations title, Senegalese Football Association president Abdoulaye Fall said on Thursday.

At a news conference in Paris, Fall said Senegal will fight to defend its "honor” at the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Lawyer Seydou Diagne said Senegal suffered a "betrayal” and has gathered international lawyers from Switzerland, Spain, France, and Senegal to plead the case. The Senegalese FA is challenging a surprise ruling last week by the Confederation of African Football to strip Senegal of the title won in a chaotic final in January and award it to host nation Morocco.

Senegal's legal team said the country still considers itself the champion of Africa despite the CAF’s ruling.

"If CAS let this situation happen, the winner of the next World Cup could be decided within a lawyer’s firm,” Diagne said.

Senegal is in France this week to play a friendly against Peru at the Stade de France on Saturday as part of its preparations for the World Cup.

Senegal’s appeal to be reinstated as the Africa Cup champion was registered on Wednesday by CAS, which set no timetable for a likely long process toward a verdict.

The appeal was promised by the Senegalese government, which also called for an international investigation "into suspected corruption” within the CAF.

CAS said the Senegal federation also asked for extra time to file an appeal brief because CAF has not yet given detailed written reasons to explain its decision.

CAF appeal judges took the title from Senegal two months after the final in Rabat as punishment for players walking off in protest and causing a 15-minute stoppage after Morocco was awarded a penalty that was set to decide the title with the last kick.

When Senegal returned to the field and play restarted, the Morocco penalty was saved, sending the game into extra time. Senegal scored the only goal in extra time to beat the host nation 1-0.

The laws of soccer state that the referee’s decision on the field of play is final.

The CAF judges, however, cited a tournament rule that any team refusing to play "shall be eliminated for good from the current competition.”

The verdict in Morocco’s appeal of CAF disciplinary rulings from January fueled a perception that the country, which will co-host the 2030 World Cup, has increasing influence in international soccer politics.

CAF’s South African president Patrice Motsepe insisted last week, "not a single country in Africa will be treated in a manner that is more preferential, or more advantageous, or more favorable than any other.”