AFCON 2025 final dispute: CAS confirms panel for October 8 hearing

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has appointed a three-member panel to hear Senegal’s appeal against the outcome of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.

The case will be heard on 8 October at the CAS headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, with the proceedings scheduled to begin at 09:30 local time and continue into the afternoon.

The panel will examine Senegal’s appeal against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) as the dispute over the continental final enters another stage.

Three experienced arbitrators appointed

French professor Gérald Simon will chair the panel, with Italian professor Luigi Fumagalli and German professor Ulrich Haas completing the three-member team.

The arbitrators will consider the arguments and evidence submitted by the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF), CAF and FRMF before entering deliberations.

The proceedings will be conducted in French after the parties reached an agreement on the language of the arbitration.

Representatives of the FSF and FRMF are expected to attend the hearing in person, while CAF will be represented by its legal advisers.

Hearing to take place behind closed doors

CAS has confirmed that the hearing will be held behind closed doors after none of the parties requested a public session.

The panel will begin its deliberations after hearing from the parties, but CAS has stressed that no decision will be announced on 8 October.

The court has also not set a date for its final ruling, meaning the hearing will mark an important stage in the case but will not bring the dispute to an immediate conclusion.

AFCON final outcome under review

The panel will assess the submissions from the FSF, CAF and FRMF before determining whether CAF’s disciplinary decision should stand.

The appeal centres on the status of the 2025 AFCON final, which was settled through a CAF disciplinary decision following events during the match that prevented it from reaching a conventional conclusion.

The case has attracted considerable attention in African football because its outcome could determine whether the existing result of the continental final remains unchanged.

CAS has urged caution over information circulating about the proceedings and said official updates will be issued through its own channels.

The three arbitrators will therefore begin their final assessment on 8 October, with the eventual CAS ruling expected at a later date.