CAS hearing opens today in Morocco-Senegal AFCON final dispute as decision could take weeks

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has opened its hearing in Lausanne, Switzerland, to consider Senegal’s appeal against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over the disputed 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.

The hearing began on Thursday morning, with representatives of Senegal, Morocco and CAF appearing before the sports tribunal alongside their respective legal teams.

The case centres on the controversial AFCON final played in January, which Senegal won 1-0 against Morocco before CAF subsequently ruled in favour of the Atlas Lions.

CAF’s decision followed an incident involving Senegal players and Congolese referee Jean Jacques Ndala after he awarded Morocco a penalty. The governing body ruled that Senegal’s players had withdrawn from the match in protest against the decision.

Senegal subsequently challenged the decision at CAS, leaving the identity of the official 2025 AFCON champions to be determined through the appeal process.

Mathieu Reeb, Director General of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, confirmed that the hearing is being conducted before a three-member arbitration panel.

The panel comprises French professor Gérald Simon, German professor Ulrich Haas and Italian professor Luigi Fumagalli.

Speaking to French network RMC from Lausanne, Reeb said representatives of all three parties were present and that each side was represented by lawyers.

"The session began with the attendance of the representatives of all parties, Senegal, Morocco and the Confederation of African Football, and all parties are represented by lawyers. We have a relatively strict timetable, which was set in agreement with the parties themselves."

He added that the proceedings were expected to continue through the afternoon.

"The hearing is supposed to continue until three or half past three or four o'clock in the afternoon (Lausanne time), and I do not think it will go beyond four."

Despite the start of the hearing, Reeb cautioned that CAS will not deliver its ruling immediately after the proceedings end.

The arbitration panel will first need to examine the evidence and arguments presented before preparing its decision and the legal reasoning behind it.

Reeb said CAS wants to issue the ruling as quickly as possible but ruled out a decision on the same day or the following day.

"Our aim is to issue the decision as quickly as possible after the hearing."

He added:

"I do not think the decision will be issued today or tomorrow, and I am almost certain of that."

According to Reeb, the panel could require several days or even several weeks to complete the process, particularly if the arbitrators decide to issue a fully reasoned judgement.

"But the matter may take a few days or even a few weeks, if the arbitrators want to prepare a full decision that includes the legal grounds."

The CAS director also acknowledged the prolonged wait for a final outcome, particularly among supporters of Morocco and Senegal.

The dispute has generated significant interest across Africa since the conclusion of the AFCON final, with fans waiting to learn whether CAF's decision will stand.

Reeb said the timetable had been agreed upon by the parties involved and that CAS was conscious of the anticipation surrounding the case.

"I know very well that the wait for the Moroccan and Senegalese fans, as well as all African supporters, has gone on for a long time."

He added:

"We set the timetable of the proceedings in agreement with all the parties concerned, and the schedule of today's session was also determined by consensus among all the parties."

Reeb stressed that CAS, as the final body of appeal in sports disputes, wants to conclude the case as soon as possible after the hearing.

"The aim of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as the last body to adjudicate in matters of sports justice, is to issue a reasoned decision as soon as possible after today's session."

The hearing therefore represents a significant stage in the dispute over the 2025 AFCON title, with Senegal challenging CAF's decision to recognise Morocco following the controversial final.

For now, no immediate ruling is expected. The arbitration panel will consider the arguments and evidence before deciding whether to uphold CAF's position or overturn it.