Abdoulaye Seydou Sow (FSF Secretary General) on France24: "Leaving the field and coming back has nothing to do with giving up"

“Leaving the field and returning has nothing to do with giving up,” declared Abdoulaye Seydou Sow, Secretary General of the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF). This was his response to the appeals committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which had used this argument to strip Senegal of its African Championship title and award it to Morocco.

According to the Secretary General of the FSF, who was a guest on the program "En tête à tête" on France 24, everything that happened on the green rectangle of the Prince Moulay Abdallah stadium in Rabat was organized by the CAF texts.

"In this case, three texts apply. First, there is the arbitration code which states that the referee is the sole master of the field. The match has come to an end and the result approved by the article is recognized in a report," he emphasizes.

Continuing his argument, Mr. Sow also cites the CAF disciplinary code, which has already been applied through the sanctions imposed on Senegal in the first instance. "We received over 700,000 euros in fines, our coach was suspended for four matches, and two of our players were suspended," he recalls.

Based on the rules applied in the first instance by CAF, Abdoulaye Seydou Sow considers the decision made by the appeals jury disproportionate. According to him, the body made "a personal interpretation" of the rules, something Senegal will not allow to stand.

“We are in a battle to restore the rule of law and respect for sporting justice,” he confided. The FSF Secretary General clarified that this fight “goes beyond the stakes of trophies and medals.”

As a reminder, Senegal has decided to challenge the decision of the CAF Appeals Jury before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and hopes that the Lausanne-based institution will "uphold the law".