Morocco-Senegal AFCON row: CAS hearing concludes with verdict still pending

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has concluded its hearing into the disputed 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal, but neither side will learn the outcome immediately.

Representatives of Morocco, Senegal and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) appeared before the three-member arbitration panel at the CAS headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday.

The hearing ended slightly earlier than the time indicated by CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb, but the early conclusion is not understood to offer any indication of which way the panel will rule.

The case now enters its final stage, with the arbitration panel expected to study the arguments and prepare its decision.

Verdict unlikely today or tomorrow

Reeb had already warned before the hearing that a ruling would not be delivered immediately.

“Our goal is to issue a decision as quickly as possible after the hearing,” he said.

He continued: “I do not think that the decision will be issued today or tomorrow, and I am almost sure of that, but it may take a few days or even a few weeks, if the arbitrators want to prepare a complete decision that includes legal reasons”.

That means supporters in Morocco and Senegal, as well as football fans across Africa, face another period of uncertainty before the dispute is finally settled.

A fully reasoned ruling could take several weeks if the panel decides to provide detailed legal explanations for its decision.

Senegal confident, Morocco keeps silent

After the hearing, the Moroccan delegation left the CAS headquarters without speaking to the media, according to reports.

Senegal, meanwhile, offered a brief assessment of the proceedings.

Abdoulaye Sow, secretary general of the Senegalese Football Federation, said: “Senegal defended itself well.”

Neither side can claim victory until the official decision is announced by the arbitration panel.

How the dispute reached CAS

The case stems from the controversial 2025 AFCON final between Morocco and Senegal, which was interrupted after Senegal’s players left the field before eventually returning to complete the match.

Morocco subsequently challenged the outcome through CAF’s disciplinary process.

In March, a CAF body ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match, but the decision did not definitively settle the question of who should be recognised as the tournament winner.

The dispute was subsequently taken to CAS, leaving the sports court with the task of determining the final outcome.

A decision with wider African significance

The case has attracted intense attention in both Morocco and Senegal and beyond their borders because it concerns the outcome of one of Africa’s biggest football tournaments.

For supporters across the continent, the eventual CAS ruling will bring an end to months of uncertainty surrounding the AFCON final.

For now, however, the wait continues.

The panel has completed its hearing, but CAS has made clear that the decision could take several days or, if a detailed legal ruling is required, several weeks.