CAN 2025: Joseph-Antoine Bell says Morocco and Senegal both at fault before TAS ruling

Joseph-Antoine Bell has attempted to balance the blame between Morocco and Senegal ahead of the Tribunal arbitral du sport (TAS) decision on the disputed 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.

The TAS is expected to announce its ruling between 18 and 22 October, according to winwin, after hearing the parties involved last Thursday. The case concerns the decision to overturn Senegal’s victory and award the final to Morocco by forfeit.

Senegal won the match 1-0 on the pitch on 18 January at Rabat’s Stade Moulay Abdellah. However, two months later, on 17 March, the Jury of Appeal of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) reversed the result and declared Morocco the winner.

Morocco had initially been dismissed at first instance before successfully appealing. The Moroccan side argued that Articles 82 and 84 of the Africa Cup of Nations regulations had been breached. Those provisions state that a team can be punished with a defeat by forfeit if it leaves the field before a match has ended.

The Senegal players briefly walked off the pitch during stoppage time after their then-manager, Pape Thiaw, urged them to do so. They were protesting against a penalty awarded to Morocco shortly after a Senegal goal had been disallowed.

Senegal subsequently referred the matter to the TAS, relying on Article 5 of the IFAB Laws of the Game. That article gives the referee authority over the match and allows the official to let play continue until its conclusion.

Bell says regulations and sporting principles point in different directions

Speaking by telephone to RFI, former Cameroon goalkeeper Joseph-Antoine Bell said both countries had grounds for their respective positions, but for different reasons.

He believes Morocco was justified in lodging its complaint under the wording of the regulations. At the same time, he argued that Senegal could be considered to have acted wrongly when the situation was judged according to the spirit of the game.

Bell also suggested that the Federation royale marocaine de football (FRMF) risked appearing overly forceful because it had accepted for the match to continue to its conclusion.

The dispute now rests with the TAS, whose decision is due after last Thursday’s hearing. Until that ruling is delivered, the controversy surrounding the final of CAN 2025 is set to continue.