CAS opens hearing on Senegal appeal over stripped AFCON title awarded to Morocco

Dispute heading to Lausanne

The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne will hear Senegal's appeal on Thursday, 8 October, over the stripped 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title. The hearing will examine the Confederation of African Football's decision to award the championship to Morocco following a walk-off during the final. A three-member panel chaired by French legal expert Gerald Simon, alongside Italian professor Luigi Fumagalli and German attorney Ulrich Haas, will oversee the closed-doors proceedings starting at 09:30 local time. Representatives from the Senegalese Football Federation, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, and CAF will present their arguments before deliberations begin.

Senegal's Minister of Sports, Djirèye Clotilde Coly, expressed confidence ahead of the session in Switzerland.

The court will decide. What is certain is that Senegal has prepared its case well. At this stage, I have neither doubt nor fear. We await the decision of the court.

The final in Rabat

The conflict traces back to the tournament final played on 18 January in Rabat. Senegal defeated host nation Morocco 1-0 after extra time through a goal scored by Pape Guèye. Late in regulation time, Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded a penalty kick to Morocco, prompting several Senegalese players to leave the pitch in protest. The stoppage lasted 14 minutes before the Senegalese squad returned to complete the fixture. Morocco forward Brahim Diaz failed to convert the resulting spot kick, sending the scoreless match into extra time. Following the final whistle, the Senegalese team lifted the trophy and later presented it to supporters at the Stade de France in late March. On 17 March, the CAF Appeal Board ruled that Senegal had forfeited the contest by walking off the field, overturning the result to award Morocco a 3-0 win.

Legal arguments and tournament rules

Senegal lodged an appeal with CAS on 25 March, seeking full reinstatement as African champions. CAF based its disciplinary verdict on Articles 82 and 84 of the tournament regulations, which stipulate that any team leaving the pitch before the regular end of a match without the referee's authorization is deemed to have forfeited and is eliminated from the competition. Senegal's legal team is expected to argue that a temporary interruption does not constitute an abandonment of the match, particularly because the contest resumed and concluded under official supervision. The Senegalese defense also relies on Law 5.2 of the International Football Association Board Laws of the Game, which establishes that referee decisions on match facts remain final. Sports law researcher Thibault Ulrich from the University of Lausanne noted that a title confirmed by the referee on the pitch had never previously been overturned by administrative forfeiture.

Possible rulings and next steps

The CAS panel faces three distinct outcomes once the hearing concludes on Thursday afternoon. The court can uphold the CAF Appeal Board's decision and confirm Morocco as 3-0 forfeit winners, substitute its own ruling to restore Senegal's 1-0 victory, or annul the administrative sanction and remand the case back to CAF for a fresh determination. CAS confirmed that its arbitrators will start deliberations immediately following the hearing, though a formal verdict will not be issued on the same day. The ruling will determine the official winner of the 35th Africa Cup of Nations after nearly ten months of legal dispute.