CAS set to rule on Morocco-Senegal Africa Cup of Nations final dispute

A decision in the dispute over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal is expected between 18 and 22 October, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) concluded its hearings in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The tribunal completed the hearings on Thursday and will now deliberate before issuing its ruling. The case centres on a final played in Rabat in January, which Senegal won 1-0 on the pitch.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) later overturned that result, ruling that Senegal should be recorded as having lost the match and awarding the title to Morocco. The Senegalese federation subsequently appealed against the decision at CAS.

The dispute followed a period during the final when Senegal’s players temporarily left the pitch in protest at one of the referee’s decisions. They later returned to complete the match.

Senegal’s case is based on Article 5 of the Laws of the Game, which concerns the referee’s authority. Morocco, meanwhile, is relying on Articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations.

Those two provisions were also cited by the CAF Appeals Committee when it made the ruling that changed the outcome of the final.

Reports by Senegalese website Sene News say CAS is expected to announce its decision during the period from 18 to 22 October. The judgment will determine whether Senegal’s on-field victory is restored or Morocco’s subsequent award of the title stands.

CAS director general Matthieu Reeb acknowledged that supporters had been waiting a long time for clarity over the destination of the trophy.

He said the procedural timetable and hearing dates had been agreed with all parties, adding that the court was working to issue a reasoned decision as soon as possible after the hearing had ended.

The conclusion of the Lausanne hearings marks the latest stage in a dispute that has continued since the final in the Moroccan capital in January. The tribunal’s deliberations will now focus on the circumstances surrounding the players’ temporary departure from the field, the referee’s authority under the Laws of the Game and the CAF regulations used to overturn the result.

No final ruling has yet been announced, but the expected window of 18 to 22 October provides a timeframe for a decision in one of the most significant disputes involving the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.