Morocco and Senegal face CAS hearing over disputed AFCON 2025 final

Yesterday 09:30

By: Azzat Manal

Morocco and Senegal face CAS hearing over disputed AFCON 2025 final

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is set to examine on Thursday in Lausanne, Switzerland, an appeal filed by the Senegalese Football Federation against the decision that awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.

The dispute stems from the extraordinary events that interrupted the final in Rabat on January 18. Senegalese players temporarily left the pitch in protest after a penalty was awarded to Morocco during stoppage time, bringing the match to a halt for around 15 minutes before the players returned.

The match itself ended with Senegal winning 1-0 after extra time. Brahim Díaz missed the penalty awarded to Morocco, while Senegal subsequently scored during extra time to secure victory on the field.

The Moroccan Football Federation later referred the matter to the Confederation of African Football (CAF), arguing that the players' departure from the pitch amounted to an abandonment of the match under the competition regulations.

CAF's appeals body subsequently ruled on March 17 that Senegal should be considered to have forfeited the final, applying Articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations. The decision changed the official result to a 3-0 victory for Morocco.

Senegal challenged that ruling before CAS, seeking to have the CAF decision overturned and the result recorded on the pitch restored. The case therefore places the disciplinary interpretation of the incident at the center of the arbitration proceedings.

The hearing in Lausanne is expected to bring together representatives of the Moroccan Football Federation, the Senegalese federation and CAF. The arbitration panel consists of French arbitrator Gérald Simon, Italian Luigi Fumagalli and German arbitrator Ulrich Haas.

The Senegalese side is expected to argue, among other points, that decisions concerning incidents during a match fall primarily within the referee's authority. The fact that the referee allowed the game to resume after the Senegalese players returned to the pitch is also part of the arguments surrounding the appeal.

Morocco, meanwhile, is defending the CAF appeals decision and its application of the competition regulations concerning an interruption or abandonment of play. The case has consequently moved beyond the original match and into a wider debate over the relationship between refereeing decisions and disciplinary regulations.

The CAS ruling could have implications beyond the outcome of the 2025 continental final. How the sports arbitration body interprets the circumstances could influence the way future cases involving players leaving the field in protest are handled.

For both federations, the proceedings therefore carry significant sporting and legal importance. Senegal is seeking recognition of the result achieved on the pitch, while Morocco is defending the regulatory decision that subsequently awarded it the continental title.

The case highlights the increasingly important role of sports arbitration in resolving disputes involving major international competitions, particularly when disciplinary regulations and events during a match intersect. The final decision will determine whether the CAF ruling stands or whether the result of the controversial final is changed again.