- The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), for the first time, has addressed the controversial issue of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)
- Senegal has lodged an appeal with the Swiss-based court, the country’s highest sports court, eight days after being stripped of the crown.
- The country’s federation has made two major appeals to the court ahead of the legal battle for the most competitive final of all time
Senegal has finally taken the initial steps to return the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title after it was given to Morocco.
Source: Getty Images
Senegal files an appeal after losing AFCON 2025
It has been more than a week since the CAF Appeal Board stripped Senegal of the 2025 title, 58 days after defeating Morocco in a controversial final in Rabat.
Pape Gueye’s goal won the game for the Teranga Lions after a long stop in the game where they refused to play. The 2021 champions protested the decision to award Morocco a late penalty.
In its decision, the CAF Appeal Board said that Senegal lost the game and thus gave Morocco a 3-0 win.
Senegal strongly contested the decision, vowing to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which was finally done on March 25.
Inside Senegal’s appeal for AFCON 2025: What do they want?
In a statement on Wednesday evening, CAS confirmed the receipt of Senegal’s appeal, which has listed CAF and the Moroccan Football Federation as responsible.
The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) wants the court to overturn the decision and return the title to them AFCON. They also want to be given time before submitting a full appeal, as CAF has not given them a full brief yet.
“The FSF appeal seeks to set aside CAF’s decision and declare the FSF winners of the AFCON. It also requests an immediate stay of the time limit to file the brief of appeal until CAF’s decision is informed of the full grounds. CAF’s decision issued on 17 March 2026 was only operational.”
Source: Getty Images
When will CAS decide on AFCON 2025 after Senegal’s appeal?
CAS will now form a panel to hear the case, while Senegal will now be given 20 days to submit a full report. After that, the respondents will have another twenty days to present their defense.
CAS has said that it is ‘impossible to anticipate a timetable for the procedure and indicate when a hearing will be scheduled’, meaning that it will be some time before a decision is reached.
“CAS is fully prepared to resolve this type of dispute, with the help of professional and independent arbitrators. We understand that teams and fans are eager to know the final decision, and we will ensure that arbitration proceedings are carried out as quickly as possible, while respecting the right of all parties to have a fair hearing,” said CAS Director General, Matthieu Reeb.
FIFA makes a big decision about Morocco after the AFCON 2025 decision
Meanwhile, FIFA has made a big decision about Morocco, shortly after the AFCON 2025 decision was made.
The world governing body has given the Atlas Lions a big boost, awarding them points for ‘winning’ the final.
The change has made Morocco move to just six points behind Brazil in fifth place.
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