CAN 2025: Senegal Awaits CAS Verdict After Crucial Lausanne Hearing

Thursday 08 - 19:11

October 8, 2026. The dispute surrounding the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has entered a decisive stage, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) now preparing its ruling following a hearing involving the Senegalese and Moroccan sides in Lausanne.

Abdoulaye Seydou Sow, secretary general of the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF), briefly addressed the media after Thursday’s hearing, stressing that Senegal’s legal representatives had fully presented their case before the arbitration panel.

“Our lawyers presented our arguments and all our observations, and they were heard by the arbitration panel,” Sow said after the proceedings.

He declined to comment on the substance of the deliberations, citing the confidentiality surrounding the arbitration process. According to the FSF official, however, Senegal considers that it made its case effectively before the tribunal.

The Moroccan representatives attending the hearing did not make public statements after the session.

CAS ruling could take days or weeks

The hearing began at 9:30 a.m. local time in Lausanne and concluded shortly before 3 p.m., ending around 15 minutes earlier than the schedule initially indicated by CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb.

The tribunal has not announced a precise date for its decision. Reeb previously indicated that the complexity of the case could require additional time, particularly if the arbitrators decide to issue a fully reasoned ruling setting out the legal grounds for their decision.

The parties involved are also bound by strict confidentiality regarding the arguments exchanged during the hearing. As a result, Senegalese officials have limited their public comments to procedural observations rather than revealing details of their legal strategy.

A dispute rooted in the CAN 2025 final

The case stems from the controversial final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations between Morocco and Senegal. The match was interrupted for approximately 16 minutes after Senegalese players left the pitch to protest a penalty awarded to Morocco.

Senegal ultimately won the match 1-0 on the field.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) initially imposed disciplinary sanctions following the incidents without overturning the sporting outcome. The case took a different turn after the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) lodged an appeal.

On March 17, the CAF Appeal Jury ruled that Morocco should be declared the winner by forfeit, awarding a 3-0 result under Articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations.

CAS now holds the next decision

The FSF subsequently referred the CAF Appeal Jury decision to the CAS, bringing the dispute before the highest level of sports arbitration.

The Lausanne proceedings therefore focus specifically on the legality of the CAF Appeal Jury’s decision rather than directly reviewing the result recorded on the pitch during the final.

With the hearing now concluded, attention turns to the arbitration panel. Its ruling could arrive within the coming days or, depending on the complexity of the written decision, several weeks.

Until then, both sides remain bound by the confidentiality of the proceedings, leaving the final outcome of one of African football’s most contentious recent disputes in the hands of the CAS.