Senegal Challenges AFCON 2025 Final Verdict at Sports Arbitration Court

The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has taken its dispute over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seeking to overturn a controversial ruling that awarded the title to Morocco.

CAS confirmed on Wednesday that it had formally received Senegal’s appeal, which challenges the earlier decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board. The CAF ruling had declared Senegal to have forfeited the final match, awarding Morocco a 3–0 victory following a dramatic incident during the game in January.

The controversy stems from Senegal’s temporary walk-off during the final after a late penalty was awarded to Morocco, an incident that ultimately led to CAF’s decision to strip Senegal of the title. Dissatisfied with that outcome, Senegal is now pushing for the ruling to be annulled and for the championship to be restored in their favour.

According to CAS, the appeal was officially registered on March 25, 2026, and includes a request by Senegal for the decision to be nullified entirely. The federation is also asking the court to recognise them as the rightful winners of the tournament.

Senegal Seeks Delay as Full CAF Decision Remains Unclear

Alongside its main appeal, Senegal has requested a temporary halt to the timeline for submitting its full legal arguments. The federation says it is still waiting for the complete written explanation of CAF’s March 17 decision, noting that only the verdict, not the detailed reasoning, has been made available so far.

CAS acknowledged this request, explaining that Senegal wants the filing deadline suspended until it receives the full grounds of the judgment. This move could significantly affect how quickly the case progresses, as the federation insists it needs all relevant details before presenting a comprehensive legal argument.

The arbitration body reiterated that the appeal challenges both CAF and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, making the case a multi-party dispute with potentially wide implications for African football governance.

What Happens Next in the Legal Process

CAS outlined the next steps, stating that an arbitral panel will be constituted to hear the case. Once the panel is in place, a procedural timetable will be established to guide the process.

Under standard CAS rules, the appellant, in this case, Senegal, has 20 days to submit a detailed appeal brief after filing. This document is expected to outline all legal arguments and supporting evidence. The respondents, including CAF and Morocco’s football federation, will then have another 20 days to respond with their defence.

However, the court noted that it is currently unable to set a clear timeline for the proceedings due to Senegal’s request for a suspension. Until that issue is resolved, it remains uncertain when hearings will begin or when a final decision could be delivered.

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The outcome of this case could have far-reaching consequences, not just for the AFCON 2025 title, but also for how disputes and disciplinary actions are handled in African football moving forward.