Rabat – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will launch a hearing on October 8 after Senegal’s decision to appeal the CAF’s forfeit ruling in favor of Morocco over the AFCON.
The case dates back to January this year, when Senegal triggered a controversy following its walk-off from the pitch after a penalty awarded to Morocco at the AFCON final.
The Confederation of African Football issued an initial ruling in favor of Senegal, which was followed by a new verdict in favor of Morocco as CAF cited its own regulations to reach a verdict that stripped Senegal of the continental title for walking off the pitch.
In response to the verdict, which aligns with international football laws, Senegal decided to file the case with CAS, the supreme court equivalent for sporting disputes. The court will open a hearing tomorrow to listen to Senegal’s arguments in the case.
CAS deployed a three-member panel to review the case, including Gerald Simon as president, alongside Italy’s Luigi Fumagalli and Ulrich Haas from Germany.
The hearing will start at 9:30 at the CAS headquarters in Lausanne behind closed doors.
The final verdict will come after deliberations immediately after oral arguments; no official date has been set for the ruling.
The case, registered as TAS 2026/A/12295, concerns Senegal’s appeal against CAF and the FRMF following the continental body’s decision over the AFCON 2025 final.
The case
In the game dating back to January 18, Senegal won 1-0 after extra time in Rabat on January 18.
CAF later ruled that Senegalese players had forfeited the match by walking off the pitch in protest against a late penalty awarded to Morocco. Senegal’s nearly fifteen-minute walk-off affected the course of the game and created chaos – including vandalism.
Morocco arrested several Senegalese fans for vandalizing the stadium following and clashing with security officers during the walk-off period. Morocco initially sentenced the fans identified in the vandalism, but a royal pardon by King Mohammed VI later allowed them to be released and returned home.
The situation initially sparked tensions between Dakar and Rabat, but the Senegalese government gradually changed its tone and diplomatic relations have since appeared to have normalized between the two countries despite their pending post-AFCON contest.
In recent weeks, messaging from the two countries – especially from Rabat – has sought to stress that they are linked by strong historical, cultural, and political ties that won’t be affected by sports.
Still, both countries are convinced they are the legitimate AFCON winners and are determined to win the legal battle at the CAS.
Most experts and observers believe Morocco has a stronger legal case, arguing that the whole Senegalese team, including the coaching staff, left the pitch and disrupted the entire course of the game for nearly fifteen minutes. Indeed, many have since strongly criticized the referee and the CAF leadership for not ending the game and declaring it a forfeit as the whole Senegalese team left the pitch in an unprecedented assault on CAF rules.
The continental body later corrected its mistake as the CAF disciplinary board settled the case by awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory and the AFCON title. Yet Senegal, which has continued to claim itself the “rightful” winner, took the case to CAS in an attempt to overturn CAF’s ruling and challenge Morocco’s championship win.
Senegal formally filed its CAS appeal on March 2. In April, President of Morocco’s Football Federation (FRMR) Fouzi Lekjaa said Morocco is fully prepared to defend its AFCON 2025 title at the CAS.
He emphasized that both the facts and the law support the country’s position.
“Morocco has strong and documented arguments regarding what happened in the final,” Lekjaa said. “All elements of the incident were recorded precisely, through official reports and video footage, in full respect of the regulations.”
In June, Lekjaa also addressed Senegal’s series of complaints, which many have interpreted as a mechanism to shake the spirit of the host and national team.
Lekjaa stated Senegal never complained about anything before the AFCON final, adding that their federation president even said the stadiums were world-class and everything was perfect.
Lekjaa’s response came against Thiaw’s and other team members’ remarks on security, despite international applause and recognition of Morocco’s efforts. CAF and beyond have lauded the tournament in Morocco as Africa’s best, citing the logistics, infrastructure, and security deployed throughout the event.
