On October 19, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued an official announcement regarding the progress of the arbitration proceedings concerning the dispute over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final. According to the announcement, the appeal filed by the Senegalese Football Federation against the Confederation of African Football and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation is still under review by the arbitration panel, with a final decision expected by the end of November 2025.
The CAS stated that the hearing for the case was held on October 8 at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the entire hearing process was closed to the public.
Currently, the arbitration panel has begun its deliberations and is continuing its work. The arbitrators have decided to issue a full award for this case, which will include the corresponding legal basis and reasons for the decision.
The CAS noted that this process will take several more weeks to complete, with the final decision expected to be officially announced by the end of November 2025.
Furthermore, the CAS specifically emphasized that only information released through its official channels is considered official. Any announcements regarding this case will be published on the official CAS website.
Background Information
The dispute stems from the Africa Cup of Nations final held on January 18, 2025, when Senegal and hosts Morocco drew 0-0 in regular time. In stoppage time, a Senegalese goal was disallowed, and then the referee awarded Morocco a penalty. Senegalese players protested the decision and briefly left the field, causing the match to be interrupted for about 17 minutes. After this, the Senegalese players returned to the field, and Moroccan player Brahim Díaz's penalty kick was saved by Édouard Mendy. In extra time, Pape Gueye scored the winning goal, and Senegal ultimately won 1-0, claiming the championship trophy.
However, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation subsequently filed a complaint regarding the Senegalese players' protest and temporary departure from the field. On March 17, 2025, the CAF Appeals Committee overturned the previous decision by the Disciplinary Committee, ruling that Senegal violated Article 82 of the Africa Cup of Nations competition regulations and, based on Article 84, ruled that Senegal forfeited the match, changing the final result to a 3-0 victory for Morocco. This meant that Senegal, who had won the championship on the field, was disqualified, and Morocco was recognized as the tournament champion.
The Senegalese Football Federation objected to this and officially filed an appeal with the CAS on March 25, requesting the annulment of the CAF's decision and the reinstatement of Senegal's championship title. Senegal argued that although the players briefly left the field, the match ultimately resumed and ended normally with the referee's permission, and therefore the match result should not be overturned after the game concluded.
The CAS held a closed-door hearing at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on October 8. According to the latest announcement issued on October 19, the arbitration panel has begun deliberations and decided to issue a formal award that includes a complete legal basis and reasons for the decision. As the relevant procedures still require several weeks, the final result is expected to be announced by the end of November 2025.
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senegal is the champion