Morocco appeal to CAS over Nations Cup ban

Morocco have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over their ban from the next two African Nations Cup tournaments, the Swiss-based tribunal said on Tuesday.

Morocco, originally due to stage this year’s Nations Cup, were banned by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after asking to postpone the tournament due to worries over the Ebola virus.

CAF refused, moving the tournament to Equatorial Guinea and fining the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) $1 million and ordering it to pay 8 million euros ($9.1 million) in damages to CAF and its partners.

“In its appeal to the CAS, the FRMF requests the annulment of the challenged decisions and that a final award be issued by the end of March 2015,” CAS said in a statement.

“An arbitration procedure has been opened and is being conducted according to the Code of Sports.”