Rabat – Morocco and Senegal will have to wait longer to learn the outcome of the legal dispute over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) held a hearing involving the two countries and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) todayin Lausanne, Switzerland.
The hearing began at around 9:30 a.m. and is expected to continue until the afternoon. Representatives of Morocco, Senegal, and CAF are attending the proceedings, with all parties represented by lawyers.
However, CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb confirmed that a final decision will not be announced immediately, according to an interview with RMC Sport.
“I don’t think it will be today, nor tomorrow. I’m fairly sure of that,” Reeb told reporters ahead of the hearing, according to RMC Sport.
He explained that the tribunal is expected to take some time before issuing its ruling, depending on the complexity of the case and the need to prepare a fully reasoned decision.
“But it should take a few days or even a few weeks if the arbitrators want to write a complete decision with the legal reasoning,” he said.
Reeb also stressed that the hearing schedule had been agreed upon by all parties involved.
“The hearing has started with representatives of all the parties, Senegal, Morocco and CAF. All parties are represented by lawyers,” he said.
“The hearing day should take us until 3 p.m., 3:30 p.m. or 4 p.m. I do not think we will go beyond 4 p.m.”
Read also: Morocco-Senegal AFCON 2025 Dispute: What Is Happening at CAS and When Will the Verdict Be Known?
The background of the story
The dispute dates back to the controversial AFCON 2025 final between Morocco and Senegal, which was interrupted for several minutes after Senegal walked off the pitch before returning to the match. Morocco later challenged the result before CAF. In March, CAF’s relevant body ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match, but the decision did not definitively settle the question of the tournament winner.
The case subsequently reached CAS, which is now tasked with examining the dispute and determining the final outcome.
Reeb acknowledged the importance of the case for supporters in both countries and across Africa.
“I know that the wait for Moroccan and Senegalese supporters, as well as for all African fans, has been very long,” he said.
He added that CAS aims to conclude the matter as quickly as possible.
“Our objective is to issue a decision as quickly as possible after the hearing,” Reeb said.
The three-member panel hearing the case is composed of French professor Gérald Simon, German professor Ulrich Haas, and Italian professor Luigi Fumagalli.
For now, however, neither Morocco nor Senegal will receive a final answer at the end of Thursday’s hearing. The parties could receive the verdict within a few days, while a fully reasoned ruling could take several weeks.
Morocco-Senegal AFCON 2025 Dispute: What Is Happening at CAS and When Will the Verdict Be Known?
