The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has scheduled a hearing for October 8 to determine the outcome of the dispute over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, in a case that could reshape one of the most controversial chapters in the tournament’s history.
The hearing will involve the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF), the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), following Senegal’s appeal against CAF’s decision to strip the Teranga Lions of the continental crown.
According to CAS, the appeal seeks to overturn the ruling by CAF’s Appeals Board, which declared that Senegal had forfeited the AFCON final and consequently awarded the championship to hosts Morocco.
CAS also confirmed that the parties did not agree to an expedited procedure. As a result, the matter will proceed under the court’s standard procedural timetable, with the hearing taking place behind closed doors.
Once the hearing concludes, the panel of arbitrators will begin deliberations before issuing a written decision at a later date. No timeline has been provided for the final verdict.
The outcome of the case is expected to have significant implications not only for the two national teams involved but also for CAF’s disciplinary processes and the handling of major international football finals.
How the Dispute Began
The controversy stems from the dramatic AFCON 2025 final played in January in Rabat, when Senegal defeated Morocco 1-0 after extra time thanks to a decisive goal from midfielder Pape Gueye. The victory appeared to hand the Teranga Lions their second continental title after a hard-fought encounter between two of Africa’s strongest football nations.
However, the result was thrown into doubt following events late in the match. CAF later argued that Senegal’s players walked off the pitch after the referee awarded Morocco a penalty very late in regulation time, an incident the governing body determined amounted to a forfeiture under its competition regulations.
Two months after the final, CAF’s Appeals Board overturned the result on the field, ruling that Senegal had forfeited the match. The decision stripped the West Africans of the title and awarded the AFCON trophy to Morocco instead.
The ruling sparked widespread debate across African football, with many questioning whether a completed match could be reversed through disciplinary proceedings rather than sporting results.
Senegal Seeks Final Verdict from CAS
The Senegalese Football Federation strongly rejected CAF’s interpretation of the incident and subsequently lodged an appeal with CAS, the highest independent judicial authority for resolving international sports disputes.
Senegal argues that the Appeals Board erred in overturning the match result and is asking CAS to reinstate its victory and recognise the Teranga Lions as the legitimate 2025 African champions.
CAF, meanwhile, is expected to defend the legality of its disciplinary process and maintain that its Appeals Board correctly applied the competition’s regulations. Morocco’s football federation has also been joined as a respondent because the CAF ruling awarded the title to the Atlas Lions.
CAS proceedings are independent of both FIFA and CAF, and its decisions are generally final and binding on the parties involved. During the October hearing, each side will have the opportunity to present legal arguments, documentary evidence and witness testimony before a panel of arbitrators.
Because the hearing will be conducted behind closed doors, details of the arguments presented are unlikely to become public until CAS releases its final decision.
The ruling will determine whether Senegal’s victory on the pitch stands or whether CAF’s decision to award the championship to Morocco remains in force. It could also provide important legal guidance on how disciplinary sanctions should be applied in major international football competitions when incidents during a final lead to disputes over the official result.
With the hearing now set for October 8, African football will be watching closely as CAS prepares to deliver what is expected to be the definitive judgment on one of the continent’s most fiercely contested title disputes in recent years.
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