CAS hears Senegal's appeal over Africa Cup final awarded to Morocco

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is holding a hearing this Thursday in Lausanne to examine the appeal filed by Senegal against the decision that handed Morocco the Africa Cup title. The session comes almost ten months after the final played on 18 January in Rabat and will take place behind closed doors starting at 9:30 am. No immediate ruling is expected, but CAS has already indicated that a decision will arrive soon, keeping the spotlight firmly on a case that has divided African football.

• CAS is hearing Senegal, Morocco and CAF this Thursday in Lausanne.
• The hearing starts at 9:30 am and is closed to the public.
• Senegal won the final 1-0 after extra time, but CAF awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory.
• The Senegalese federation described the decision as an "administrative robbery".
• No verdict is expected on Thursday, though CAS has promised a prompt ruling.

The arbitration panel deciding the Africa Cup final case

Three arbitrators make up the panel responsible for resolving the dispute: Frenchman Gérald Simon, Italian Luigi Fumagalli and German Ulrich Haas. The trio will hear arguments from the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF), the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The hearing will be conducted without public or media access, a standard format for disciplinary procedures of this magnitude.

What happened in the Senegal-Morocco final on 18 January

The final played in Rabat ended with a 1-0 Senegalese victory after extra time, but the match was overshadowed by a chaotic episode. In stoppage time, the referee awarded a penalty to Morocco. Brahim Díaz stepped up to take it and missed, although the Senegalese protest over that decision was massive: a large number of players left the pitch and did not return for fifteen minutes.

That interruption proved extremely costly for Senegal. The Moroccan federation filed an appeal with CAF, which ruled on 17 March that the Senegalese side had lost the match by forfeit with a 3-0 scoreline. The continental title changed hands without a single additional minute of football being played.

Senegal’s appeal against the CAF ruling

The Senegalese Football Federation reacted quickly and took the case to CAS. Its position was clear from the very start: the FSF described what happened as the most blatant administrative robbery in the history of Senegalese sport. The appeal seeks to overturn the continental body’s decision and have the result achieved on the pitch that January night officially recognised.

This is not the first time sports arbitration has ruled on an African final. CAS has previously intervened in other CAF disputes, and its decisions have set precedents on how competition regulations should be interpreted. For Senegal, the goal of this hearing is to reclaim a title its players believe they won on the pitch.

What is at stake for Senegal and Morocco

The dispute goes beyond the sporting realm. Senegal wants its extra-time victory recognised and, with it, the continental championship it celebrated on the Rabat pitch. Morocco, for its part, defends the CAF resolution that awarded the title by 3-0 and which has already been registered as the Moroccan triumph in the most controversial Africa Cup edition in memory.

The outcome also affects the record books of both national teams. Senegal, one of the strongest sides on the continent over the past decade, is looking to build on a track record that already places it among Africa’s leading football powers. Morocco, a World Cup semi-finalist in 2022, wants to consolidate its recent dominance and add another continental trophy to its cabinet.

When will the CAS ruling be announced?

CAS will not announce a verdict this Thursday. The court has stated that the panel will hear the parties and that the ruling will come later, although within a short timeframe. This is standard procedure in complex cases: the arbitrators need time to deliberate and draft a reasoned award that addresses the arguments put forward by all three parties.

Anticipation is running high in Senegal and Morocco, where the January final remains a permanent topic of conversation. In the meantime, CAF keeps its 17 March decision in force and the title officially remains in Moroccan hands pending CAS having the final say.