Former Raymond Hack, an ex-arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), has weighed in on the controversy, insisting that Senegal’s victory should stand based on the authority of the referee.
According to Hack, the laws governing football are clear: the referee has absolute control over proceedings on the field, including when a match officially ends. Once the whistle is blown to signal full-time—whether at the end of regulation or extra time—the result at that moment is considered final.
He emphasized that any incidents occurring prior to the final whistle cannot override the referee’s decision to conclude the match. In this case, since the referee ended the game after extra time with Senegal in the lead, that outcome remains legally binding.
By this interpretation, Senegal’s status as champions would remain intact, as only the referee has the authority to determine the official end of the match.
