CAS hearing takes fresh turn as Morocco raise alleged second report from AFCON final

The ongoing dispute over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal took a fresh turn on Thursday after Morocco’s legal team reportedly raised the existence of an alleged second referee’s report during a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The development emerged during the closed-door proceedings as the CAS panel considered Senegal’s appeal over the controversial circumstances surrounding the final.

A source familiar with the hearing revealed that the Moroccan defence referred to a second report allegedly prepared by Congolese referee Jean-Dac Ndala after the final.

The report, if formally established and accepted as part of the case file, could provide additional information about events that occurred during the match and potentially become relevant to the arguments being considered by the arbitration panel.

However, the exact nature of the alleged second report remains unclear.

It is also not yet known whether the document contains information that differs from, or simply supplements, the referee’s original report submitted after the match.

CAF’s legal representatives reportedly challenged the claim made by the Moroccan side, rejecting the suggestion that there was a second referee’s report.

The disagreement over the alleged document adds another layer to an already complicated legal dispute involving CAF, Morocco and the Senegalese Football Federation.

The referee’s report is an important piece of evidence in disciplinary proceedings because it provides the match official’s account of incidents that occurred during a game. Any additional report attributed to the referee could therefore attract considerable attention if its existence and admissibility are confirmed.

The dispute stems from the events surrounding the 2025 AFCON final and the subsequent decisions taken by CAF, which resulted in Morocco being awarded the title.

Senegal subsequently challenged the outcome and took the matter to CAS, with Thursday’s hearing providing the parties with an opportunity to present their respective legal arguments.

Despite the anticipation surrounding the proceedings, CAS will not issue its decision immediately.

The hearing was conducted behind closed doors at the request of the parties, with no spectators or media representatives allowed inside the courtroom.

Following the hearing, the three-member arbitration panel will deliberate on the case before issuing its ruling.

CAS has not set a specific date for the verdict, meaning Morocco and Senegal must wait for the panel’s final decision on the dispute.