The Court of Arbitration for Sport has lifted Morocco’s ban from the next two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.
The North African nation was originally expelled from the 2017 and 2019 tournaments and fined £675,000 by the Confederation of African Football, which also demanded a further £6m in compensation, after they pulled out of hosting the event due to the Ebola epidemic.
CAS said it had “upheld the appeal in a large proportion”, adding: “The sanctions imposed by the CAF on the FRMF have been set aside, with the exception of the fine, which is however reduced to £33,700.”
CAF had also ordered the Moroccan federation to pay £6.07m “for damages caused to the Confederation of African Football and partners.”
And CAS, the highest appeal court in world sport, said the “question related to the compensation of the possible damage caused by the FRMF to the CAF may still be examined by another jurisdiction.”
Morocco was disqualified from this year’s tournament after withdrawing as host just two months before the start of the competition, citing health risks from fans travelling from Ebola-affected regions.
The Moroccan federation had called for the 2015 tournament, eventually moved at the last minute to Equatorial Guinea and won by Ivory Coast, to be delayed as concerns over the potential spread of the virus grew, and then declined to stage it when that delay was not granted.
