CAS to hear Senegal appeal over disputed 2025 AFCON final
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will hear the Senegalese Football Federation’s appeal against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) on Thursday over the disputed 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.
The hearing will take place behind closed doors at the CAS headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, with the case centred on CAF’s decision to award the tournament title to Morocco after ruling that Senegal had forfeited the final.
CAS has confirmed that no decision will be announced on the day of the hearing.
The dispute dates back to the final, which Senegal initially won 1-0 after Pape Gueye scored in extra time.
However, the match descended into controversy late in normal time when the referee awarded Morocco a penalty.
Senegal’s players left the pitch in protest following the decision, before eventually returning to complete the match.
CAF subsequently ruled that Senegal had forfeited the final and recorded a 3-0 victory for Morocco, effectively awarding the North Africans the 2025 AFCON title.
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) rejected the decision and took the matter to CAS, arguing against CAF’s ruling and seeking recognition as the legitimate winners of the tournament.
The appeal could therefore have significant consequences for the official outcome of the 2025 AFCON, depending on the eventual decision by the sports court.
- Three-member panel
The case will be heard by a three-member panel chaired by French arbitrator Professor Gérald Simon.
He will be joined by Professor Luigi Fumagalli of Italy and Professor Dr Ulrich Haas of Germany.
The proceedings will be conducted in French.
In a statement issued on 30 September, CAS said it was unable to indicate when the final decision would be issued.
It did, however, make clear that there would be no ruling immediately after Thursday’s hearing.
The court is expected to consider the arguments presented by Senegal, CAF and the Moroccan federation before reaching its decision.
- Morocco title at stake
Morocco's status as 2025 AFCON champions remains at the centre of the case.
CAF’s decision to award the final to Morocco followed its ruling that Senegal had forfeited the match, despite the Senegalese side having initially taken the lead through Gueye in extra time.
Senegal's appeal challenges the basis on which CAF overturned the result and awarded the match to Morocco.
A successful appeal could see the original outcome of the final revisited, while a rejection of Senegal’s case would leave Morocco’s title intact.
For now, however, both sides must wait for the CAS panel to deliberate after Thursday’s hearing.
The court has not provided a specific timetable for its final ruling, meaning the dispute over the 2025 AFCON final will continue beyond the hearing in Lausanne.