The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, began hearing Senegal's appeal on Thursday against the decision that stripped them of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 title. Senegal had defeated hosts Morocco 1-0 in the final in January, but the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Board overturned the result two months later. CAF awarded Morocco a 3-0 forfeit win and the trophy instead, citing Senegal's 14-minute walk-off during the match.
The dispute traces back to an incident late in regular time of the final, when a penalty was awarded against Senegal. Several Senegalese players walked off the pitch in protest, and the team was absent for roughly 14 minutes before returning to complete the match. Morocco failed to convert the resulting penalty, and the match went to extra time, where Senegal scored the winning goal. CAF's Appeal Board ruled that Senegal's walk-off amounted to forfeiting the match under tournament regulations.
CAF's regulations state that a team which refuses to play or leaves the field without the referee's authorisation before the match ends is to be considered the loser and eliminated from the competition. On this basis, CAF reversed the scoreline to a 3-0 win for Morocco and declared them champions. Senegal lodged an appeal with CAS on 25 March, seeking to be reinstated as AFCON champions.
A three-member panel is hearing arguments from Senegal, Morocco, and CAF. The panel is chaired by French civil rights expert Professor Gerald Simon, alongside Italian international law professor Luigi Fumagalli and Zurich-based law professor Ulrich Haas of Germany. CAS said that the panel would begin deliberations after Thursday's hearing but gave no indication of when a final decision would be issued.
At the centre of the dispute is how strictly the tournament's forfeiture rule should be read. Senegal's legal team is expected to argue that the Laws of the Game treat decisions on incidents during play as final and not open to challenge after the fact. They argue that a temporary departure from the pitch cannot be treated the same as abandoning a match altogether.
Morocco, by contrast, is expected to argue for a stricter reading — that any departure from the field without the referee's permission triggers automatic forfeiture, regardless of whether the team later returned to finish the game. The ruling will settle which nation is officially recognised as Africa's reigning champion heading into future AFCON qualifying cycles.
The outcome carries real consequences for Morocco and Senegal's standing in CAF competitions and any associated recognition or benefits tied to holding the title. No timeline for a final CAS ruling has been given, leaving African football's governing bodies, fans, and the two federations involved waiting for certainty over who truly won AFCON 2025.
Key points
- The Court of Arbitration for Sport is hearing Senegal's appeal against being stripped of the AFCON 2025 title.
- The dispute centres on how strictly the tournament's forfeiture rule should be read.
- The ruling will determine which nation is officially recognised as Africa's reigning champion.
