Guinea awaits CAS verdict on 2025 AFCON appeal against Tanzania
Guinea will discover on November 17 whether their appeal against Tanzania in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers will succeed.
The Guinean Football Federation (FGF) remains determined to defend its qualification hopes after a controversial elimination.
Guinea lost 1-0 to Tanzania in Dar es Salaam on November 19, 2024, a result that ended their campaign despite needing only a draw to advance.
Immediately after the defeat, the FGF lodged an official protest, accusing Tanzania of using a player whose number did not appear on the official match sheet.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) reviewed the complaint but dismissed it on December 26, declaring it “formally admissible” yet “substantively unfounded.”
Unwilling to concede, the FGF escalated the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on June 16, 2025.
The federation hopes the appeal will overturn CAF’s decision and reinstate Guinea in the tournament.
In a statement released on Thursday, FGF President Sory Doumbouya confirmed that the decisive hearing would take place in Lausanne on November 17.
“The Guinean Football Federation informs the public and all stakeholders in Guinean football that the hearing before the Court of Arbitration for Sport concerning the qualifying match against Tanzania will be held on November 17, 2025, in Lausanne,” the statement read. “The decision will be delivered during the same week.”
The outcome of this case will determine whether Guinea could be reinstated in the 2025 AFCON, which Morocco will host from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The situation has sparked intense anticipation among Guinean fans, who continue to express frustration over their team’s elimination. Many supporters hope the ruling will grant the Syli National another chance to compete in the continental showpiece.
While awaiting the decision, the national team’s future in the competition hangs in the balance. A favourable ruling could alter the qualification picture, but a rejection would confirm Tanzania’s spot and end Guinea’s AFCON dream.
For now, all eyes remain on Lausanne as Guinea’s final appeal nears its conclusion.
