Abdoulaye Sow, Secretary General of the Senegalese Football Federation ‹ › The Secretary-General of the Senegalese Football Federation, Abdoulaye Sow, has strongly criticized the Confederation of African Football's decision to award the Africa Cup of Nations title to Morocco, in remarks relayed by Senegalese media. He alleged serious irregularities in the process, describing the ruling as a «grave transgression». «This morning, we were invited to a hearing by videoconference, where each side was supposed to present its arguments. Our lawyer, Seydou Diagne, was due to start the pleadings, but we ended up waiting for two hours. Then, around 1:00 p.m., while the session was still ongoing, we were surprised to receive a message at 1:30 p.m. saying the hearing had ended, without any pleadings taking place», he said. «At that point, we felt something was being orchestrated. Then, at around 9:30 p.m., we were notified of this scandalous decision», he alleged. Sow argued that the ruling fell outside any credible legal framework. «It is a transgression with no legal basis. From the very beginning, we sensed that something had already been set in motion, and that the Nigerian was expected to carry it out», he said, referring to the Chairperson of CAF Appeal Committee Roli Daibo Harriman. He confirmed that the Senegalese Federation will take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. «We will challenge this decision at CAS, and we will not back down. The law is on Senegal's side. We will use every means available and are already working closely with our lawyers». He also described the continental body as «corrupt», adding that the federation's president is in contact with various stakeholders. «The fight is far from over. I want to reassure all Senegalese: justice and victory are on Senegal's side, and the cup will not leave the country».
