CAN 2025 : « Le droit est du côté du Sénégal », Me Doudou Ndoye démonte l'argumentaire de la CAF
Invited to the Sunday Jury on iRadio, Me Doudou Ndoye, an emblematic figure of the bar, delivered a sharp legal analysis on the decision of the appeal committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to strip Senegal of its title of African champion.
Describing the decision as "unfair," the lawyer immediately pointed out that legends of world football, such as George Weah, Samuel Eto'o, and Didier Deschamps, had expressed their complete incomprehension. For him, their position reflects a universal truth: "Football is won on the pitch, not in offices."
The heart of the debate: a "misinterpretation" of Article 82
For Mr. Ndoye, the CAF's legal framework rests on a fundamental error. The appeals committee relied on Article 82 of the AFCON regulations, which stipulates the elimination of a team in the event of a breach. However, the lawyer emphasizes a crucial detail in the text: the phrase "of the ongoing competition."
“A sanction can only be applied during the competition. Once the final is played, the competition is no longer ‘ongoing.’ Therefore, no sanction can retroactively revoke a title. When the referee blows the final whistle, the tournament is over,” he insists. Invoking the principle of strict interpretation of criminal law, he adds: “A rule that imposes a sanction cannot be extended or freely interpreted. It must be based on a clear text, applied to the letter.”
Furthermore, Mr. Ndoye emphasizes a crucial point of civil law: acquiescence. By agreeing to continue the match, resume play, and participate in the penalty shootout, Morocco, according to him, waived its right to contest the result. "You can't agree to play and then contest it afterward," the lawyer asserts.
While Senegal has officially appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), lawyer Doudou Ndoye believes the Senegalese defense is particularly strong. He argues that the CAS must overturn this decision to avoid setting a dangerous precedent.
The lawyer warns against the complete discrediting of African football: "If this decision stands, no player will fight on the pitch anymore if an administrative decision can overturn everything after the fact." For Mr. Doudou Ndoye, the case is clear: CAF misapplied its own regulations, and only a correction by the judges in Lausanne can preserve the integrity of continental sport.
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