The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) has officially submitted its legal response to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne regarding Senegal’s appeal over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final.
The appeal was filed by the Senegalese Football Federation after CAF upheld Morocco’s AFCON 2025 triumph following Senegal’s withdrawal from the final match.
FRMF denies missing legal deadline
According to reports from Almountakhab, sources within the Moroccan federation dismissed claims suggesting the FRMF had failed to meet the deadline to submit its defense to CAS.
The federation insisted that all legal procedures and deadlines were fully respected in line with existing regulations.
Officials explained that the original deadline fell on a weekend, automatically extending the submission period to the next official working day.
As a result, Morocco’s legal documents were formally submitted on Monday, May 11, 2026.
Dispute rooted in controversial AFCON final
The controversy stems from CAF’s Appeals Committee decision to award Morocco a 3-0 victory after Senegal withdrew from the AFCON 2025 final.
According to reports, Senegal’s coach instructed the team to leave the pitch after Morocco were awarded a penalty during the match.
The Senegalese players reportedly remained off the field for more than 15 minutes before the game eventually resumed.
Morocco confident in legal position
The Moroccan federation is relying heavily on CAF regulations which state that any team withdrawing from a match is deemed to have forfeited the game.
The FRMF has also reportedly submitted additional evidence and documents outlining the circumstances surrounding the final as it seeks to defend Morocco’s continental title before CAS.
